Is Delhi’s Air Quality Becoming A Nightmare?

The stubble may look good on the face of some, but it just doesn’t on the face of the country’s national capital. Why? When it burns, it causes a lot of pollution. And what’s rather concerning is that the scenario is a real cause of menace when stubble burning isn’t happening actually in Delhi but in the neighboring state of Punjab.

Add to that the crisis of vehicular pollution, unrelenting pollution and toxic waves generated from industrial activities and manufacturing and other allied processes. So there you have it; with a deadly concoction of each of the above, how can one expect Delhi’s air quality to be better or improve?

Truth be known to all, Delhi’s air quality isn’t going to improve anytime soon. Well not unless and until the country decides, once and for all, to take cognisance of the actual situation out there instead of simply putting troubling stats out there in bold increasing panic and fear whilst not addressing the actual cause of grievance.

In an age that loves number crunching and where data has become the new oil, all that is known regarding Delhi’s air quality is that the city seems more like a well-oiled machinery producing pathetic air for lungs than anything else. And sad as it may seem, year after year, nothing is changing; in fact, things, where they stand, are not looking too bright.

For the fact is that this year, i.e., 2021, it’s been found out that Delhi’s air quality is the worst that it’s been all these years.

If that’s not a troubling piece of information then what is? Anywhere you go and see, all that there is, is a thick layer of fog and smoke. Regardless of whether you are a cool dude heading out for the next evening soiree in Sainik Farms or a start up entrepreneur exiting one meeting only to enter another at Cannaught Place!

The average Air quality index of Delhi, dated Friday, i.e., November 12 around 4 PM was 471!

That’s actually tantamount to consuming 15 cigarettes a day. Imagine the impact on the lungs? But just what is the “Sarkaar” doing about it?

Now speaking of the above, blaring that this piece of development may be, the following is what a meeting that took place in the capital on the burning issue of Delhi’s air quality revealed :

On Friday, a meeting on the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) to restrict deterioration of the air quality in Delhi was held.

A sub-committee on the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) asked offices to limit vehicular use, citizens to restrict their outdoor activities and agencies to prepare themselves on a war-footing. The committee suggested people work from home, carpool and optimise field activities to cut down use of vehicles.

At the meeting, it was also observed that the current weather conditions are highly unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants and the incidence of stubble burning is likely to remain high.

Additionally, measures under ‘moderate’, ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories are also in place.

“Concerned agencies must be in complete readiness for implementation of measures under ’emergency’ category as per GRAP,” CPCB said on Friday.

The measures to be followed in the ’emergency’ situation include stopping the entry of trucks in Delhi, ban on construction activities and introducing the odd-even car rationing scheme.