The long road to clean air: No silver bullet for Delhi's pollution woes

The disinclination for National Capital Region administrations to promote public transport is adding to pollution woes each winter

Pollution in the National Capital Region of Delhi has revived memories of Covid-19 induced lockdown with the closure of schools, a work from home direction for Delhi government offices and a similar advisory for private offices.

Staying indoors has been a norm across the world in the Covid-19 times but any directive on pollution-induced stay-at-home orders is an admission that poor air quality is a health emergency that the combined efforts of the executive and the judiciary have been unable to address. Though a lockdown is not expected immediately because of improved air quality, construction and fossil fuel-based industrial activity is shut.

Of the multiple reasons that cause pollution, the most avoidable and yet difficult to regulate is the individual’s choice to take out her own vehicle rather than use public transport. Road rationing through the odd and even scheme is one way through which the Delhi government tried to control emissions in the city. It, however, provoked resentment among citizens and brought little benefit, according to studies conducted during its implementation.

In a joint affidavit filed by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change and the Central Pollution Control Board in the Supreme Court in November 2019, it was said that vehicular pollution adds to 28 per cent of the total pollution of Delhi. Out of that, trucks contribute 8 per cent, tractors 1 per cent, buses 3 per cent, cars 3 per cent, two-wheelers 7 per cent, three-wheelers 5 per cent and LCVs 1 per cent. The odd-even scheme was applied to the cars only, which contribute only 3 per cent of 28 per cent of the total pollution caused by vehicular traffic in Delhi. The Union government, therefore, took the stand that applying an odd-even scheme to only cars cannot be “a wholesome solution” but road rationing for two-wheelers and three-wheelers was not put into effect because of the absence of effective public transport. Further the scheme was not applicable to taxis which meant an Uber or Ola could be hired if an individual cannot take out her car.

The Covid-19-induced fear of public transport has only added to the preference for personal transport. The Delhi Metro, for instance, is seeing 2.8 million passenger journeys on an average so far in November 2021 compared to 6 million before Covid-19 restrictions began in March 2020. This implies a good number of travellers are still avoiding the utility even though movement through road towards offices according to the November 14, 2021 Google Mobility Report for Delhi is only 6 per cent less than pre-Covid-19 levels.

The fear of Covid-19, however, is transient. Considering the high price of automobile fuel, commuters could turn to public transport sooner or later. The Delhi government, in fact, has put Covid-19 fears behind it and wants more passengers to board public transport. “Owing to the improved COVID situation and to control pollution from private vehicles, we have moved a proposal with DDMA (Delhi Disaster Management Authority) to allow standing passengers in buses and Delhi Metro, to modify the current order prohibiting the same. I request all Delhiites to cooperate and shift to public transport,” said Kailash Gehlot, Delhi transport minister, in a tweet on November 16, 2021. He also said the city government was hiring around 1,000 buses for a month to control pollution from private vehicles.

Gehlot’s announcement raises the question as to why the additional services are not available at all times. While viability of running more buses can be an issue, governments across the country have not strengthened public transport especially in smaller cities, towns and villages where the pollution levels due to inefficient auto rickshaws and industry surpass National Capital Region (NCR) levels on some days.

The Supreme Court had, in fact, mandated a Graded Response Action Plan for the NCR in December 2016 during its hearing on the i M C Mehta p versus i Union of India p case, under which Air Quality Index (AQI) categories of Moderate and Poor, Very Poor, Severe and Severe+ or Emergency have been created (see table).

When air reaches severe levels, states in the NCR region are required to implement differential tariffs for public transport to encourage off-peak travel and reduce crowds on public transport. But for this to be successful, especially in Covid-19 times when commuters may take out their own vehicles, offices will need to have flexi-timings. During the highest pollution category when the air quality is severe-plus or beyond the index, the entry of truck traffic except those carrying essential commodities is stopped and road rationing scheme for private vehicles with minimum exemptions is to be put in place.
 

The onus of taking all measures, including implementing a ban on stubble burning, crackers, construction and coal-based industries, lies on various governments. Barring stubble burning where effective alternatives are not yet available, it should be possible for governments to strengthen oversight. For transportation, however, a longer-term planning that focuses on giving more comfort for both shorter and longer distances is essential. This can only come up if governments adequately invest in transport systems instead of just relying on private investment.