Can you believe it, Delhi’s air is getting cleaner now

NEW DELHI, JUNE 2: Though air pollution has become synonymous with Delhi over the years, the city is actually on the mend now. Going by t...

NEW DELHI, JUNE 2: Though air pollution has become synonymous with Delhi over the years, the city is actually on the mend now. Going by the latest figures released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the Capital’s readings have started showing a downward trend for the first time in the last decade.

The measures adopted to reduce vehicular pollution in the last two years seem to be having some effect on the city. As compared to 1995, in 1998 sulphur dioxide levels fell by 4-40 per cent, nitrogen oxide by 4-13 per cent, particulate matter by 6-17 per cent, carbon monoxide by 3 per cent and lead by as much as 11-60 per cent.

The total pollution load was 897 thousand tonnes in 1998-99, before the various pollution-reducing measures were put into practice. This figure fell to 666 thousand tonnes after policy-makers woke up to the sudden increase in the number of vehicles, due to which the vehicular pollution load had increased drastically between 1990-91 and 1995-96. Today, vehicular pollution makes up 70 per cent of the pollution load in the city.

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Some of the measures adopted in the last two years to control pollution in Delhi include introduction of unleaded petrol, reduction of sulphur content in diesel, tightening of vehicular emission norms, ban on pre-mixed 2T oil for 2-stroke engines and phasing out of polluting vehicles.

The results are clearly evident at traffic intersections. From 1995 to 1998, sulphur dioxide levels fell by 60 per cent, nitrogen dioxide by 5 per cent, suspended particulate matter by 6 per cent and lead by 60 per cent. “This is a significant trend because it shows we are on the right track,” said LG Vijai Kapoor.

The Supreme Court had set up the Environment Protection Authority under the chairmanship of Bhure Lal in January 1998 to introduce measures to contain vehicular pollution. “We are a part-time authority. We meet once a week, there is no permanent staff. I will claim credit only when there are no more deaths due to cancer, heart attack or asthma because of these dangerous emissions,” Bhure Lal said.

The CPCB’s strategy to control vehicular pollution includes improvement of the traffic system, an inspection and certification system for on-road vehicles, improvement of fuel quality and a checking system for emissions from storage tanks and fuel distribution systems. “These results are encouraging, but I hope this will not lead to complacency,” said CPCB Chairman Dilip Biswas.