The Gas Chamber

There have been too many articles written about the pollution levels in Delhi. Much analysis has been done about the causes and the possible solutions. The purpose of this blog is to examine various possibilities and suggest some solutions.

The causes of extreme pollution in Delhi are well known. The following list is in no particular order and it may also not be completely exhaustive.

1. Stubble burning in the adjoining states of Punjab, Haryana, and UP
2. Small fires used for heating in winter using coal or wood
3. Fireworks 
4. Burning of leaves and other refuse in Delhi
5. Construction dust
6. Road dust
7. Vehicular pollution
8. Industrial pollution caused by factories and power plants
9. Domestic cooking using coal or wood

The first three are largely seasonal and start building up from around October. The confluence of cold weather and festivals around that time add to a lethal mix that chokes the citizens of Delhi during the period October - February. Winter rains bring a little respite in January but this period is the worst from a pollution point of view.

Finding solutions has not been easy. Here are some thoughts:

1. Stubble Burning: Very simply, farmers need to be persuaded to stop burning stubble. This has several angles. Paddy was harvested manually in the old days leaving only a short stubble that could be easily plowed in. With the introduction of mechanical harvesting the stubble length has increased and it is not easy to plow. The additional cost of plowing has become unviable given the low margins that farmers are getting these days. Clearly, this is a multidimensional problem. It also involves several states with different political dispensations. The Centre and the Delhi Govt will have to work together to propose a viable package comprising of incentives and penalties that are practical and enforceable to make this happen.
2. Small Fires: To be prohibited and strictly enforced by the Delhi Administration. 
3. Fireworks: Unfortunately the ban by the Supreme Court has taken on a political/religious hue. Clearly the citizens of Delhi cannot afford the luxury of unbridled use of fireworks as a method of celebration. In my view, the use of fireworks by private individuals and organisations should be prohibited (this includes weddings, festivals of all religions etc.) In lieu of this one may suggest public fireworks displays on Diwali and New Year.
4. Burning of leaves and refuse: To be prohibited and strictly enforced by the Delhi Administration. 
5. Construction Dust: This is a big contributor to pollution. Builders routinely flout all laws including dumping of building material so that it blocks the road. There is no attempt to restrict or eliminate dust. Again this needs strict enforcement by the Delhi Administration.
6. Road Dust - Vacuum cleaning by mechanical means is essential.
7. Vehicular Pollution.
   Clearly, Delhi can not afford to have more and more vehicles on its roads. The total cost of ownership of a vehicle has to go up dramatically. One time tax must be increased and so must parking charges. Illegal parking should result in heavy fines and confiscation of the vehicle. New registrations should be allowed only if the owner can provide proof that he has parking available.
   PUC certificates must be strictly enforced and fines should be enhanced for non compliance. There are already restrictions on usage of old vehicles and these must be enforced.
   The entry of trucks into Delhi is a sore point. After years of neglect the KMP expressway is still nowhere near completion. The railways have failed miserably in providing a cost effective and efficient alternative to long distance transport by road. All these issues need to be tackled on a war footing
   The Odd Even scheme is a good thing but only for short periods of time when pollution levels are peaking. This is an emergency measure.
8. Industrial pollution can be controlled by strict compliance. Again the Delhi Administration should take strict action.
9. Domestic Cooking using wood or coal: This is largely practiced by BPL families or slum dwellers. Free availability of kerosene at reasonable rates and small cylinders of LPG can help to curb the problem.

The other problem has been an objective metering and feedback on pollution levels. Here again the measurements have been coloured by politics. There is no single agency or reading that is available that everyone believes in.

If the Government is serious about curbing pollution in Delhi it should set up an empowered task force led by a Senior Bureaucrat which has representation from all agencies involved at State Level from Punjab, Haryana, UP and Delhi. The task force should have a mandate for at least a 5 year period and should report periodically to the Environment Minister Concerned at the Centre and the CMs of the States involved. Their reports should also be published in the press.

Unfortunately for us, we tend to focus on something only when there is a crisis. Public memory is short and once winter is over it is business as usual. We need a sustained drive to mitigate the curse of air pollution in Delhi.

No politics please.

The Metropolitan Curse

Shanghai is one of the four direct-controlled municipalities of China and the most populous city proper in the world with a population of more than 24 million as of 2014. - Wikipedia

A municipality (simplified Chinese: 直辖市; traditional Chinese: 直轄市; pinyin: zhíxiáshì), also translated as direct-controlled municipality (formally, municipality directly under the central government, or province-level municipality), is the highest level of classification for cities used by the People's Republic of China. These cities have the same rank as provinces, and form part of the first tier of administrative divisions of China. - Wikipedia

 

Rank	City	State or union territory	GDP per capita (nominal)[1]	GDP per capita (PPP)[2]
1	Delhi	National Capital Territory of Delhi	$3,580	$12,747
2	Mumbai	Maharashtra	$1,990	$7,005
3	Chennai	Tamil Nadu	$1,870	$6,469
4	Hyderabad	Telangana	$1,430	$5,063
5	Bangalore	Karnataka	$1,420	$5,051
6	Kolkata	West Bengal	$1,110	$4,036

India has some of the largest cities in the world. Unfortunately their growth and development has been held hostage to:

1. The fact that the politicians who rule them derive their power from the rural hinterland - for many years Maharashtra (and hence Mumbai) was ruled by the sugar lobby from Southern Maharashtra who has little sympathy with and knowledge of urban development.
2. Large scale migration from the poorer states that leads to overcrowding and a strain on urban facilities 

The stark difference between the Per Capita GDP of Delhi vs the other major metros is instructive. Many people will complain that Delhi has been unfairly favoured as it is the seat of the Central Government and hence a lot of money has been pumped in compared with the other cities. That may be partially true. However the main point is that it has been an administrative unit of its own as a Union Territory for a long time prior to becoming a state. That provides a sharp focus on Urban Issues and their resolution.

We would be well advised to study the Chinese model where the four largest cities are designated 'direct controlled municipalities' with the same rank as provinces. Translated into the Indian system this would mean making the largest cities into independent states. Inspite of all the bickering between the LG and the CM of Delhi the focus has remained clearly on urban issues. Recent improvements in Healthcare and Education are a case in point. The Delhi Metro's rapid development is in sharp contrast to the snails pace at which the Mumbai Metro is progressing.

Let us not succumb to 'The Metropolitan Curse' that our major cities are descending into. Over 3000 deaths a year on Mumbai's local trains is a frightening and shameful statistic. It's time that we breathed new life into our major cities by liberating them from the clutches of politicians who have no understanding or stake in their welfare.