In an interview with HT, Dey spoke ahead of Diwali about the effectiveness of green firecrackers, the limitations of the Graded Response Action Plan (Grap) and why there is a need to expand regional coordination beyond the National Capital Region (NCR)). Edited excerpts:
Delhi’s air pollution crisis cannot be tackled through emergency restrictions alone and requires sustained, year-round action across the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP), says Swagata Dey, policy specialist and group head, Air Quality Policy and Outreach at the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP).
Our modelling simulations indicate that the contribution may reach up to about 15% during the peak winter months. IITM publishes weekly data, which are usually below 20%. Because emissions are one factor we can control, unlike meteorological conditions, grap limits emissions by restricting polluting activities, which is important. Because of better ventilation, the impact is not seen in Delhi, in fact, evidence suggests that a large chunk of wheat stubble is burnt in May, but.
In India, implementing pollution-related bans can be challenging owing to the scale of the population and enforcement constraints. ensuring compliance has been difficult Although firecrackers have been banned in NCR for almost five years. Increasing public awareness, monitoring supply chains, and enforcing strict penalties may help restrict firecracker use in Delhi-NCR. A gradual shift towards alternative ways of celebrating could help reduce dependence on firecrackers. The government could also support reskilling and livelihood programmes to help firecracker industry workers shift to other sectors. Delhi continues to record alarmingly high pollution levels despite years of interventions, multiple action plans and restrictions. What does the current situation tell us about the effectiveness of our fight against air pollution? Are we fundamentally getting something wrong, and is there any evidence that the measures taken over the years are slowly working? It is a combination of both. Our understanding of pollution sources, sectoral contributions, and impacts has evolved. We are now beginning to consider regional contributions and address air pollution as a transboundary problem. So, we are not fundamentally wrong. We are in the right direction, albeit progressing very slowly. Another area of concern that remains unaddressed is secondary pollutants. Most of our efforts focus on controlling primary PM, so we largely ignore gases. These are precursors that help form secondary PM and add to the overall numbers. Yes and No. Grap used to be invoked only after pollution levels had peaked. A recent notification now specifies invoking Grap before ground conditions worsen. Grap is still limited to NCR, although a large chunk of pollution still comes from outside NCR. Thus, Grap should be extended across the IGP region to see its full impact. In the long run, we need to shift from episodic Grap measures to proactive air quality management throughout the year. It is well established that stubble burning contributes marginally to Delhi’s pollution crisis annually, but more significantly seasonally. The exact contribution of stubble varies by fire incidents and needs to be monitored on a day-to-day basis.
Earlier, we focused only on Delhi-NCR, but it soon became clear that a wider regional approach was needed, leading to the formation of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
An updated EI will help establish whether the measures are working. I would not say that nothing is working. I would say that we do not have enough evidence on the impact or lack thereof. Delhi’s last emission inventory (EI) predates COVID. But we do not have the data to determine the impact of sectoral contributions.
Since then, several changes have taken place, including clean cooking schemes, deeper penetration of EVs, the phase-out of BS-III vehicles, increased adoption of electric buses, and the introduction of new DG sets.
Every year, we also tend to focus on high pollution levels in September and lose sight of the issue in March. This year’s pollution figures should be interpreted with caution, as meteorological factors, including the effect of a possible Super El Niño, may also be playing a role.
