Delhi’s severe air pollution and its solution

Source: The post Delhi’s severe air pollution and its solution has been created, based on the article “Three solutions for clean air” published in “Indian Express” on 25th November 2024

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper3-Environment

Context: The article discusses Delhi’s severe air pollution, highlighting stubble burning, transport, and local sources as causes. It suggests crop diversification, stronger EV policies, and innovative technologies like smog towers to reduce pollution and improve public health and sustainability.

For detailed information on Air Pollution In Delhi- Reasons and Solutions read this article here

What is the main cause of air pollution in Delhi?

1. Delhi experiences severe air pollution, especially in November, with the AQI often surpassing 400. This is due to slow wind velocity and pollutants such as PM 2.5 stagnating in the air.
2. Stubble Burning: According to IITM, Pune, stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana contributed 35.18% to Delhi’s PM 2.5 levels on November 1, 2024.
3. Transport Sector: Delhi’s transport sector added 19% to the pollution.
4. Other Sources: Contributions include: Residential areas: 3.9%; Industries: 4.6%; Construction: 2.4%; Road dust: 1.4%; Neighboring areas: 30-35%

What should be done?

1. One solution is diversifying crops in Punjab and Haryana, where 1 to 1.5 million hectares of paddy could switch to crops like pulses or millets. This change could reduce groundwater depletion and greenhouse gas emissions, as paddy is highly water-intensive and receives large subsidies. If farmers receive better incentives and support for crop diversification, it could reduce pollution and enhance sustainability.
2. Implementing Delhi’s Electric Vehicles (EV) policy more aggressively could help. The policy targets 25% of all new vehicle registrations as EVs by 2025. However, a lack of charging infrastructure remains a hurdle, with only 1,919 charging stations available. Expanding this infrastructure is crucial for reducing emissions from the transport sector.
3. Innovative technologies like vacuum cleaning towers, or smog towers, could capture pollutants directly from the air. Placing these towers at major traffic intersections and highly polluted areas could significantly improve air quality.

Question for practice:

Discuss the major causes of air pollution in Delhi and the potential solutions to address them.