Pollution in the national capital started causing serious diseases to the people, but the government’s attitude was to shirk responsibility by taking some measures like food supply.
Delhi’s air is continuously getting worse. The government’s steps to stop pollution are proving inadequate. The situation is so bad that newly appointed Chief Justice Suryakant complained that he felt unwell when he walked for a while. Then, these days two posts regarding the poisonous air of Delhi also went viral. The first was of YouTuber Akshat Srivastava and the second of journalist Rahul Dev. Akshat wrote that his IRS officer wife has resigned from the job after being fed up with the pollution in Delhi, because now they do not want to live in Delhi. Akshat Srivastava’s post reveals that Group A service officer Ayushi Chand decided to leave the government job out of concern for the health of her younger son. Like Ayushi, journalist Rahul Dev also announced to leave Delhi due to the poisonous air.
In one of his posts, Dev wrote that after all, who can be trusted here, because no leader or government seems to have the will to improve the situation here. Rahul Dev also says that the condition of ‘smog capital’ which is becoming a serious threat to health is unlikely to improve. We should have learned from Beijing, which was once the most polluted city and today the climate there is so clean that it cannot be said that there was ever pollution here.
There was a time when ‘Dilli Ki Sardi’ was full of both romance and adventure. This was the season when cultural activities were at their peak in the country’s capital. Now this weather has started scaring both the people living here and those who enjoy this weather. This city, shrouded in smoke and haze, has been called the ‘Smog Capital’ for some years.
In view of the serious situation of pollution, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has demanded an immediate and detailed debate on the problem of increasing air pollution in Delhi before the winter session of Parliament. Rahul Gandhi says that the air of the capital has become so bad that it is creating a health emergency-like situation. Rahul Gandhi says that even at such a time, the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is beyond comprehension. When children are breathing dirty air, then responsibility and promptness should be visible from the government’s side. He also met many such mothers at his home whose children’s health is being seriously affected due to pollution.
Experts and doctors also believe that the situation is really bad for people with chronic and serious diseases, the elderly and children. Breathing this air is risky only for healthy people, so one can only think about sick people.
Delhi, which has become one of the most polluted cities in the world, has been surrounded by pollution smoke for the last 15 days. For the last several weeks, Delhiites have been suffering from problems like eye irritation, throat pain and cold. Everyone is expressing concern over this pollution but its main causes are still not being discussed properly. Pollution in Delhi is mainly attributed to vehicle exhaust, dust from construction works, industrial pollution and burning of conventional fuels and solid waste. Apart from this, stubble burning in North India also greatly affects the air of the capital. Burning of stubble in the fields of neighboring states Punjab and Haryana in October and November leads to abnormally high levels of fine particles (PM2.5 and PM10) in Delhi’s air.
These small microscopic particles enter the lungs through the nose, which can cause serious health problems. The biggest impact of air pollution is on health. This is especially dangerous for children, the elderly, and people with lung or heart disease. Prolonged exposure to pollution can cause serious diseases like asthma, bronchitis, heart disease, and even cancer.
The air quality reaches ‘severe’ or ‘very severe’ levels in winter. Pollution affects not only health but also the social level. Schools have to be closed, outdoor games are banned. It is often advised to wear a mask, but even a mask is not a complete guarantee of protection.
Data from the World Health Organization, United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Harvard School of Public Health, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and California Air Resources Board show that the dangers of pollution are deepening in big cities of the world including Delhi-NCR. The latest report shows that this is not just a concern of Delhi-NCR, but if serious efforts are not being made to deal with this crisis, it is time for ‘Global Red Alert’ for the air of the entire Indus and Ganga plains. The report said that Delhi-NCR and the Indus-Gangetic plain is turning into the most dangerous air pollution zone on earth. In the coming 10 years, this area may become a center of permanently polluted air, if efforts are not made to improve it.
Winter season is continuously bringing troubles in North India. In the last few years, the improvement measures have not been enough to ensure that the level of PM 2.5 does not go above the safe limit. The population density in North India is high, the means of public transport are not sufficient, agriculture and industry also add to this increase. It is not that pollution in other cities has never been controlled before. But this requires strong willpower. There was also heavy pollution in London, Beijing and Los Angeles. But this was controlled. However, experts believe that the challenge of North India is different. Because the geographical structure of Delhi-NCR and Indus-Gangetic plain is different. This area is quite large and wind does not spread much here. Therefore, during cold days the wind pattern becomes stable with low temperature. The air remains trapped and this trapped air increases the level of pollution.
Although a slight improvement in air quality was recorded on the last Sunday of November, it is insufficient. Delhi’s average air quality index (AQI) was 270. Despite this the air quality was still poor. But even this ‘bad’ seems to be a matter of relief because after about 16 days, improvement in AQI was seen.
According to weather experts, there has been a slight improvement in the weather due to change in the direction and speed of the wind. If seen this time, the incidents of stubble burning have reduced in neighboring states also. Still the situation is worrying. The government had also launched a campaign advising the farmers of Punjab and Haryana not to burn stubble. Due to which it decreased and the pollution level also declined.
It is also a matter of concern that when this pollution returns every year, then why no solutions are found to prevent it. Even when amicus curiae senior lawyer Aparajita Singh had sought the Supreme Court’s intervention in this regard, citing the health emergency, Chief Justice Surya Kant had remarked, “We do not have a magic wand.” He had acknowledged that everyone in Delhi NCR is suffering from pollution but “the Court does not have a magic wand, which can solve the problem immediately.” It is true that this problem cannot be solved with any magic wand. If it can, then is the stick of law the only solution? If yes, then what are you waiting for?
