It’s that time of the year when once again the focus is on the air quality and the toxicity of the air we breathe. Come November and living in and around the National Capital Region is as bad as living in a gas chamber. And each year its the same script.
The experts and environmentalists come together and suggest short term solutions, while the politicians come on tv and indulge in a blame game. Since the Aam Admi Party is now in power in Punjab as in Delhi it comes in for a fair share of the blame as does the BJP which is in power in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and of course at the Centre. But once November passes, all this is forgotten only to be regurgitated at the same time, next year.
Just to get an idea of how bad the situation is, at the time of writing this column the Air Quality Index in the national capital was recorded at 470 (over all level). In Sonipat Haryana it was 518, in Gurugram Haryana it was 471 and in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh it was 446. In some areas of Delhi it was much higher, hitting 882 in Anand Vihar a few days ago. For some more perspective, an AQI of 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 to 100 is satisfactory, 101 to 200 is Moderate; 201 to 300 is Poor’ 301 to 400 is Very Poor; and 401 to 500 is Severe.
Not quite sure what adjective one can use for levels that go beyond, but yes, gas chamber comes to mind. As experts pointed out, while politicians measure development in terms of the tall statues they build & the hoardings they hammer on our roads, the environmentalists worry about the shrinking size of lungs in newborn babies. As a side note, the agency that measures the AQI has a very apt acronym – SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research Ministry of Earth Science, Govt. of India). Go figure.
We are all familiar with the short term solutions, the odd even cars, banning of diesel vehicles, putting a pause on construction, artificial rain and sprinklers and so on.
But the real solution is in long term measures which includes something as basic as planting more trees. They are the best air purifiers and accessible to everyone. There has to be a balance between industry and growth, and this includes offices as well as factories – why should the capital region be the hub and not more spread out. There is a dire need not just to increase public transport but also to change habits that prefer cars to buses and metros. The solution to odd even cars for instance is that most families (that can afford it) buy two cars with odd even number plates, instead of sharing. So while we can – and should – hold the politicians accountable, we should also take a look inwards and change our own habits. Every little bit helps.