Up in the air: NCR's smog problem

Stubble burning can make plans ineffective

The graded response action plan (GRAP), which codifies the measures to curb the spike in air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR) every winter, has undergone some subtle but significant changes to ramp up its effectiveness. The most noteworthy among these is the emphasis on pre-emptive remedial action rather than waiting for the air to turn foul before curbing polluting activities. The advance action would be guided by the early warning system developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and the predictions made by the India Meteorological Department. Besides, the yardstick for determining the threshold for imposing restrictions on polluting activities would now be the air quality index (AQI) rather than the concentration of PM2.5 or PM10 particulate matter in the air. The AQI is deemed a better indicator of air quality because it takes into account most of the toxicants that can get into the bloodstream through the lungs to cause respiratory and other illnesses.
 

Another consequential tweaking of the GRAP is the introduction of a source-apportionment system to help ascertain the precise contribution of different sources of pollution on a real-time basis. This would allow situation- and source-specific corrective action. However, the smoke spewed by the burning of crop residues in states around the NCR, a major contributor to the rise in pollution levels between October and mid-November, remains a matter of worry. Action on this front needs to be taken by the adjoining states, which does not seem to be forthcoming in adequate measure. Going by the data collected by the Delhi-based Indian Agricultural Research Institute, 192 crop fires were witnessed in the second half of September this year in Punjab alone. The overall incidence of stubble burning might swell this year because the late-season rain has delayed paddy harvesting, further narrowing the window for sowing the rabi crops, thereby spurring the tendency to clear the fields by torching the leftovers. Well-thought-out and result-oriented strategies are needed to deal with this issue.
 

Nevertheless, the possibility of relatively good success in taming the NCR’s pollution this year cannot be ruled out for another reason as well. The Delhi government has announced a 15-pronged anti-pollution action plan to rein in local sources of pollution, as also to supplement and complement the measures taken under the GRAP. A green war room has been set up to monitor the AQI round the clock to formulate the strategies to bar garbage burning and use of diesel-operated power generators, halt construction work, prohibit polluting vehicles from entering the city, or take extreme measures like closure of schools and issuing work-from-home advisories. Numerous teams of government officials and volunteers have been constituted to keep a watch on the potential polluters and advise preventive measures. More importantly, anti-smog guns, including mobile ones, are being pressed into service to upgrade the quality of air at the identified pollution hotspots.
 

However, the success of these actions hinges substantially on the cooperation of the neighbouring states. Lapses on this count by any one state can mar the good work done by others. The Commission for Air Quality Management of the NCR and the Union environment ministry would, therefore, need to play a vital role in ensuring a coordinated combat against air pollution.