When we breathe Poison

     Air pollution has become one of the serious concerns around the globe. In India, Delhi has been annually experiencing severe air pollution every winter threatening the health of its residents. The issue should be taken seriously as over a period of time, it becomes a matter of life and death.

    There are many causes for pollution in the NCR region. The burning of stubble in Punjab and Haryana will send particulate matter towards the NCR. The vehicular emissions especially from diesel vehicles and unregulated construction activities add a lot of particulate matter to the air. Usage of conventional forms of cooking and garbage burning will also contribute its share.

    There is smog formation in the atmosphere during winter. When there is inversion of temperature, smog accumulates in the lower troposphere. The wind around the NCR during winter is very still and this leads to the stagnation of the accumulated pollution in the troposphere near the surface severely affecting the quality of the air.

    Air pollution can cause a variety of problems in an individual ranging from difficulty in breathing to Asthma, Severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS), pneumonia and others. Amidst the pandemic which specifically targets the lungs, it becomes necessary to tackle air pollution to keep the health and immunity of the people under check. Apart from this because of smog, there is reduced visibility and can lead to accidents.

    The local government takes some measures during air emergencies.  With the supreme courts order as right to clean air to lead a dignified life is a fundamental right under article 21 of the constitution, the Environment pollution control authority(EPCA) has been implementing Graded response Action Plan(GRAP) in the NCR region depending on the situation. A unique colour coding is given to a particular scenario representing the degree of pollution and many actions including imposing ban on vehicular traffic, construction activities, burning of garbage, etc are taken to regulate the quality of the air.

    This is not the first time that Delhi is experiencing air pollution. The onus should be on long term solutions along with the short term. In the long run education of people, encouragement to adopt electric vehicles, inducing a behavioural change in the public to be less dependent on private transport and providing an affordable means for removing the stubble can be taken. In fact, under the MNREGA scheme, the government can provide some employment opportunities to remove the stubble by subsidising the cost to be borne by the farmer and use the stubble in creating natural fertilisers to reduce the cost of the government. By doing this the government can tackle some cyclical unemployment and can improve the demand and thereby creating an avenue for economic recovery.