 "Delhi air pollution: Lessons to learn from London, Beijing, others to tackle smog")
Diwali, the festival of lights is celebrated with great fervour in India. But along with the celebrations come the woebegone apocalyptic dark skies, heavy with smog. Despite several initiatives undertaken by the Delhi government, the national capital crumbled under the weight of the hazards of air pollution.
On November 1, a day after Diwali, Delhiites woke up to an average PM 2.5 level of over 700 µg/m³. This is said to be the highest level recorded ever world wide.
Delhi has been ranked one of the most polluted city in the world, but the air pollution story does not belong to this city alone. Many other capital cities of the world have faced such crisis and have successfully battled smog.
According to a statement issued by Environment Ministry, "Burning of solid waste and crops, vehicular emissions and dust from construction sites are major contributors to New Delhi’s smog".
New Delhi's counterpart, Beijing, was once known as the world's most polluted city. With an undaunting resolve, it implemented innovative measures to clean its air quality within a span of almost eight years.
Much before China and India's struggle, post the industrial revolution, many countries in the West sagged under poisonous layers of smog and pollutants.
More From This Section
On December 3, 1930, Belgium woke to toxic fumes that remain in place for three days. 60 people died and many suffered nausea, vomiting and breathing problem. The Royal Prosecutor of Leige immediately appointed a committee and opened a judicial enquiry.
Similar incident occurred in Southern Pennsylvania's Donora town in 1948 in which 20 people died and 6000 others were affected.
In 1952, the world witnessed the deadliest smog. London grappled with a poisonous haze for five days. 4000 people lost their lives, many cattle died too.
All of these cities are heavily industrialized. Most of them are de factp home to steelworks, glass manufacturers, factories, zinc plant, explosives plants, etc. Sulphurous fumes and other toxic material cause emitted by these factories create smog.
A bird crosses a smog covered road in New Delhi
Effective implementations and prompt decisions have come handy for all of them. Pennsylvania government formed federal laws and agencies to control pollution, including Pennsylvania’s 1970 ‘Environmental Bill of Rights’, which states that “the people have a right to clean air, and pure water.
London's The Clean Air Acts of 1956 and 1968 were a direct outcome of the killer smog, which banned emissions of black smoke.
In California, public movements such as Stamp Out Smog created awareness and took on the automobile industry. Citizens protested against pollution. Since then the city has improved considerably.
Commuters make their way amidst the heavy smog in New Delhi
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has proposed ways to tackle the issue like installing smoke-filtering chimneys in crematoriums, preventing waste burning, watering down roads, etc. But action needs to be taken promptly. Problem of Air pollution needs to be addressed now.