Air pollution

 

Earlier in India, we used to have four seasons, but in recent decades a new season has been added to the Indian calendar year, the months from November to January are marked by the season of smog and choking cities.

Although it was considered to be the sacred season of northern India, now even the southern states like Bangaluru and Mumbai are witnessing AQI as high as 400, thus, it has become a pan-Indian phenomenon.

As it has become a country-wide phenomenon and not restricted to the Northern states we need to bring a paradigm shift for tackling the problem. We need not only the strategy to tackle the problem, but we need to focus on the origin of the problem too. Contrary to belief, the major cause has also shifted from geographical and atmospheric phenomena to anthropogenic factors. According to the latest assessment by the Centre for Science and Environment, vehicular pollution in general accounts for 50% of the total concentration of PM2.5. In north India stubble burning accounts for pollutants in the winter seasons, which choked the major cities in India including the Delhi NCR, which desires a more nuanced approach to problem in a holistic manner.

Even though, various steps have been taken by the state as well as the central government in this regard, be it the formulation of the Air Quality Management Commission and NCAP at the national level, the study by various prestigious institutes like IIT Kanpur, or the formulation of GRAP in Delhi NCR region, but the problem has remained intact even spreading across the country at a faster pace.

Thus, for this multifacet problem , more germane and holistic approach is needed, instead of solving the problem in silos, we need to find a solution which takes each stakeholder together.

Even though the insitutional norms and mechanism are required to provide guidelines and measures, there is need of in tendem working of each department of governement office as well as equal participation is needed from the citizens and other civil society organisations.

For examples on one hand if one department issues the norms of BSVI or  E mobility policy to curb vehicular emmission, then other department should also needs to work on argumenting the public transport to reduced the intensity of the emissions. Citizenry needs attitudinal change to use the public transport, even the smaller act of walking for smaller distance, can help in the reducing the concentration of PM2.5. The education institutions can help in providing solution to crop burning like PUSA institute with crop residue solution or developing more efficient engines.

So, blaming one and another is not going to solve any problem,but finding effective solutions collectively can pave the road for the cleaner and greener future, as suggested by our honorable PM Modi , there is need of "sabka saath sabka prayas" to make the air breathable.