Both Delhi and Beijing had begun their fight against air pollution neck-and-neck, but Delhi has lost steam midway. Beijing has moved ahead because of its decisive action, finds a review by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) of the state of air quality reporting by monitoring agencies in the two cities.
Says Anumita Roychowdhury, head of CSE’s air pollution control team: “If we apply the air quality classification and health alert system of Beijing or the US to Delhi this winter, this city would be in a frequent state of pollution emergency requiring contingency action.”
The CSE review was done in the wake of serious public health concern over air pollution levels this winter in Delhi. The review also refutes the recently released report of IITM- SAFAR, an official air quality monitoring agency in Delhi. The report says that though emissions have increased by 10-20 per cent over the past four years, there is no systematic increase or decrease in air pollution, though the frequency of extreme pollution events are rising. From its analysis, IITM-SAFAR concludes that Delhi’s peak pollution levels are lower than those of Beijing.
Says Roychowdhury: “We should not miss the crucial point on the need for urgent air pollution control to protect public health. This is not the time for complacency when pollution levels are unacceptably high.”
IITM-SAFAR has not highlighted the health implications of the severe pollution levels and peaks that it itself has recorded in Delhi – three to five times the standards. Neither has it reviewed the data emerging from other monitoring agencies. The CSE analysis highlights the fact that Delhi, which has already set up one of the most extensive air quality monitoring systems, has the opportunity to assess the risk better. Says Roychowdhury: “Instead of giving out partial information, this should be leveraged to assess risks better and help take decisions to protect public health more effectively.”
The CSE review and analysis highlight the following:
However, the SAFAR monitors—which are not part of this grid—release only calculated air quality index for all their stations on a daily basis, as also the aggregate 24-hour city averages for PM2.5, PM10 and ozone. They do not provide dynamic real time concentration, by location, or back information.
Though some of the DPCC and CPCB sites are plagued by frequent repairs and maintenance, they do release data by the hour. This helps assess daily risks better. It may be noted that Beijing has 35 PM2.5 monitors around the city, broadcasting real-time data.
IITM-SAFAR has stated in its release in January 2014 that PM2.5 levels in Delhi “hardly touched 350 microgramme (µg) per cum…. majority days ranged between 100-300 microgramme per cum,,,,”. It concluded, based on data for five days for two cities for January 14-17, that “PM2.5 level remained much lower in Delhi (150-270 microgramme per cum) as compared to Beijing where PM2.5 levels reached as high as 500-670 microgramme per cum”. But the data that IITM-SAFAR has reported is still unacceptably high.
CSE has reviewed daily 24-hour average PM2.5 levels for this winter (October 1, 2013-January 31, 2014) for three monitoring stations for which continuous data is available without disruption – R K Puram, Mandir Marg and Punjabi Bagh.
CSE has analysed the extent of daily level of exceedance and found that Delhi met the standard only on three days. But on 41 days (33 per cent of days monitored in winter), daily levels were 500 per cent higher than the standard. In fact, on 17 days (14 per cent of days monitored), the levels were higher than 350 µg per cum which is close to the highest reported by IITM-SAFAR for January.
Smog alert systems
Other governments are monitoring air to inform people about health risks, and take emergency action to reduce severely high peak levels. CSE went a step further to understand the air quality data in Delhi in relation to public health and contingency action. It applied air quality classification criteria of Beijing and the US and their health alert systems to daily pollution levels this winter in Delhi. It found that Delhi would require a contingency plan very frequently.
What governments do when high level alerts are issued
CSE compared the nature of policy response to severe pollution episodes or very high pollution days in other cities. It found:
Policy action to cut air pollution risks
CSE has also reviewed the action taken over time by the two cities and found a lot more is happening in Beijing compared to Delhi. Both the cities had started aggressively around the same time—2000. Both had geared up to meet the air quality benchmark for the big games events – Olympics in Beijing in 2008 and Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010. Both the cities have not solved the problem yet. But Beijing has kept the momentum of action going. Delhi has lost steam.
First generation action in two cities (1998-2008): Delhi-Beijing neck and neck
Second generation action in two cities post 2008-2014: Beijing moves ahead
Post 2008, Delhi has taken a few more measures but scale and stringency is missing. The new steps include extension of metro system, increasing bus numbers—close to 6,000; introduction of Euro IV standards in 2010; upgradation of PUC tests. Creation of Air Ambience Fund in 2009; implementation of 40 km of cycle tracks with new footpaths during the Commonwealth games and marginal increase in parking prices in NDMC area
Compared to Delhi’s action, Beijing has been more strident. It has gone to the extent of capping the number of cars that can be sold in a year – initially fixed the number of cars to be sold annually to 240,000. This year onwards this limit will be lowered to 150,000 new licences annually. It has introduced Euro V emissions standards and 10 ppm sulphur fuel for buses and municipal fleet. They continue to ban diesel cars inside the city. Vehicle inspection has been further upgraded to using remote sensing technology. They have increased parking fee in Feb 2011; increased total length of subway and light railway to 456 km; increased subsidy for scrappage of old vehicles; promoting CNG, electric vehicles and hybrids. Beijing has adopted air quality index and a health alert system to inform and warn people; local governments in China are now liable to pay a fine if air pollution levels hit critical rank; range of action on polluting industry and other sources
Delhiites cannot bear the cost of ill health anymore: Delhi cannot afford to remain silent about the daily air quality any more. Health stakes are too high. People already suffering from lung disease, respiratory and cardiac problems, children and elderly need to be warned about the air and the precaution they need to take.
Need urgent action
Delhi cannot afford to fall behind when its pollution levels are rising rapidly and reaching unbearable limits. Delhi and a large number of other Indian cities in grip of serious air pollution crisis need to gather momentum and implement hard measures to meet clean air standards.
-Time bound improvement in public transport integrated with walking and cycling
-Integrate transportation with land-use planning
-Road pricing to reduce dependence on personal vehicles
-Tax rationalisation and innovative funding mechanism
-Parking policy and charges to reduce dependence on personal vehicles
-Leapfrog quickly to Euro V/VI standards. The Auto fuel policy committee must give stringent emissions standards roadmap for vehicles to cut toxic risks.