The Smog Wars

Till the protests over the new Citizenship (Amendment) Act offered themselves as a more emotive election issue, it looked like Delhi’s inescapable, annual battle with pollution would also count for votes in the assembly polls due on February 8. While that threat seems to have receded, the air quality index (AQI) reading for Delhi has only improved from ‘Hazardous’ then to ‘Very Poor’ now.

- Raj Chengappa & Shwweta Punj

Union Environment Minister PRAKASH JAVADEKAR and Delhi Chief Minister ARVIND KEJRIWAL spoke separately to Group Editorial Director Raj Chengappa and Deputy Editor Shwweta Punj on how they were tackling the key pollution challenges confronting the national capital. Excerpts:

Q. What are the main causes of pollution in the national capital?

PRAKASH JAVADEKAR: There are four to five components of pollution—vehicular, dust management, biomass burning, and industries. The composition is different in each city, hence we have a National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) which comprises city-specific plans. These plans have various stakeholders, but the city corporation, state government, and state pollution control board are the main agencies. As far as Delhi is concerned, stubble burning is an issue, but only from October to November. Vehicle movement is the main problem here. About 95 percent of the pollution is caused by local factors—dust pollution, waste burning, unpaved roads, local biomass burning. Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the National Air Quality Index [to monitor the quality of air in urban centers on a real-time basis]. Acceptance of a problem is the beginning of a solution.

ARVIND KEJRIWAL: Delhi has local sources of pollution (like dust, vehicular and industrial, among others) and external sources of pollution (mainly stubble burning). During the rest of the year when there’s pollution due to local sources, it comes down by 25 percent. However, during October and November, pollution becomes unbearable because of stubble burning.