Delhi govt receives IIT-K study on city's air pollution

The long-awaited study on Delhi's air pollution prepared by a team of IIT Kanpur, has identified emissions from vehicles, thermal plants and biomass burning in neighbouring states as the "dominant factors" and has proposed a switch to Euro VI norms among other radical measures to combat the menace.
A copy of the report, that was submitted to the Environment Department recently, has been forwarded to the Chief Minister's office. A detailed discussion will be undertaken and its final version made public by second week next month.
The report of the study, "Source Apportionment Study of PM2.5 and PM10" that was commissioned in 2013, is likely to effect major policy changes. It is "nuanced" and is over 300 pages long, a senior government official said.

"The report clarifies which source is more damaging, components of the pollutants, especially during winters when pollution peaks, which may put an end to the lobby fighting which is prevalent today among transporters, industry and other sectors," the official said.
It takes note of the fact that pollution in Delhi cannot be treated in isolation and takes into account sources contributing in and around 300-km radius of the city, which automatically factors in the crop residue burning.
The suggestions are more constructive and in nature as it focuses on the 'dos' rather than 'dont's'. "Congestion tax and other are more regulatory in nature but the solutions proposed like the replacing of Euro IV by Euro VI may prove to be game changers," the functionary added.

But most of the measures, suggested in the report, would require considerable investment and cooperation of neighbouring states, the official added.