Showing posts with label Pollution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pollution. Show all posts
Friday, November 5, 2021
Friday, November 2, 2018
That time of the year By Sunita Narain
That time of the year
By Sunita Narain
The time of the toxic air is here again, and where do we stand with our clean-up actions?
Smell the air and you will know what I am talking about. The fact is that this year, more than ever before, there is public awareness about why toxic air matters. Nobody denies the problem—and this is not a small change. The fact is that even till last year, there was mummer, stutter, and statements to say that people do not die from air pollution. I say this because we have had to challenge these positions in courts and outside.
It is also a fact that even though health impacts are shouted about, there is still only “little” more appetite for action. This is not to say that things are not happening; but that whatever happens, happens after a protracted fight. Every solution is contested with the view that this only constitutes a small part of the problem—the 1 percent problem-as I have written earlier. There is also no desire to push the boundaries so that the action matches the scale and urgency of the public health crisis.
So, what has happened and what needs to be done. First, let’s sort out some basic facts. Delhi has its own sources of pollution, which need to be addressed and reduced. The reason that pollution peaks in winter is not only because of the farmers in Punjab and Haryana who burn crop stubble at this time. Pollution is worse in winter because of adverse weather conditions, which lead to inversion (cold air settles); moisture (traps the pollutants) and poor wind (does not allow for dispersion). This is why even though the sources of pollution remain constant throughout the year, the level of pollution peaks in winter.
Second, certain things are now done and must not be dusted. This year, there is a comprehensive action plan for pollution control in the National Capital Region (NCR). The plan handles all sources of pollution; has deadlines and agencies with responsibilities. Now let’s get on with it. We also have evidence about what is causing pollution; so again, we don’t need to spend time blaming the “other”. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOES) has just released its emission inventory-pollutants and sources-for Delhi and its neighbouring areas. It establishes what we knew, that vehicles are the main cause of pollution in the city and NCR-contributing over 40 percent.
In the vehicle segment, heavy commercial vehicles (trucks) and commercial/personal vehicles like taxis are the major polluting source. It points to the fact that taxis (Ola, Uber etc.) travel 400 km/day, as against personal cars (55 km/day). It is a saving grace that these vehicles are fuelled on compressed natural gas and not diesel. But even with cleaner fuel, their net contribution is high. This requires to restrain on the trucks entering Delhi and on ensuring that there is a reduction in overall personal vehicles and that even taxi use is controlled through augmented bus and metro services. It also means that paratransit (like taxis and auto rickshaws) must use the cleanest fuel and technology as the miles traveled are the highest and so is their pollution potential. All this is known. We need action, now.
The other source, which has increased by a staggering 48 per cent between 2010 and 2018 is industry. This is because this part of the world has thousands of small industrial units, all previously using pet coke and now coal. After months of bitter wrangling in court, pet coke use in this region is banned. But it is allowed for industries that use it as feedstock and was allowed through imports without any license. Now, again, after much delay, there is a ban on the import of pet coke. Also there are standards for sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NOx) for these industries. This took over six months of protracted arguments in court. But now that the standards have been issued, there is little or no enforcement. This is what needs to be changed.
But there is some good news. The MOES report finds that emissions from residential sector have reduced by half from 2010 to 2018. This is because of the increased penetration of LPG even in the poorer areas of the city. This means that something can be done. It will show up in the atmosphere. We will breathe better and cleaner air. This is where our efforts have to be deployed. This is where we must stay focused. Till next winter. With better news.
By Sunita Narain
Smell the air and you will know what I am talking about. The fact is that this year, more than ever before, there is public awareness about why toxic air matters. Nobody denies the problem—and this is not a small change. The fact is that even till last year, there was mummer, stutter, and statements to say that people do not die from air pollution. I say this because we have had to challenge these positions in courts and outside.
It is also a fact that even though health impacts are shouted about, there is still only “little” more appetite for action. This is not to say that things are not happening; but that whatever happens, happens after a protracted fight. Every solution is contested with the view that this only constitutes a small part of the problem—the 1 percent problem-as I have written earlier. There is also no desire to push the boundaries so that the action matches the scale and urgency of the public health crisis.
So, what has happened and what needs to be done. First, let’s sort out some basic facts. Delhi has its own sources of pollution, which need to be addressed and reduced. The reason that pollution peaks in winter is not only because of the farmers in Punjab and Haryana who burn crop stubble at this time. Pollution is worse in winter because of adverse weather conditions, which lead to inversion (cold air settles); moisture (traps the pollutants) and poor wind (does not allow for dispersion). This is why even though the sources of pollution remain constant throughout the year, the level of pollution peaks in winter.
Second, certain things are now done and must not be dusted. This year, there is a comprehensive action plan for pollution control in the National Capital Region (NCR). The plan handles all sources of pollution; has deadlines and agencies with responsibilities. Now let’s get on with it. We also have evidence about what is causing pollution; so again, we don’t need to spend time blaming the “other”. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MOES) has just released its emission inventory-pollutants and sources-for Delhi and its neighbouring areas. It establishes what we knew, that vehicles are the main cause of pollution in the city and NCR-contributing over 40 percent.
In the vehicle segment, heavy commercial vehicles (trucks) and commercial/personal vehicles like taxis are the major polluting source. It points to the fact that taxis (Ola, Uber etc.) travel 400 km/day, as against personal cars (55 km/day). It is a saving grace that these vehicles are fuelled on compressed natural gas and not diesel. But even with cleaner fuel, their net contribution is high. This requires to restrain on the trucks entering Delhi and on ensuring that there is a reduction in overall personal vehicles and that even taxi use is controlled through augmented bus and metro services. It also means that paratransit (like taxis and auto rickshaws) must use the cleanest fuel and technology as the miles traveled are the highest and so is their pollution potential. All this is known. We need action, now.
The other source, which has increased by a staggering 48 per cent between 2010 and 2018 is industry. This is because this part of the world has thousands of small industrial units, all previously using pet coke and now coal. After months of bitter wrangling in court, pet coke use in this region is banned. But it is allowed for industries that use it as feedstock and was allowed through imports without any license. Now, again, after much delay, there is a ban on the import of pet coke. Also there are standards for sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NOx) for these industries. This took over six months of protracted arguments in court. But now that the standards have been issued, there is little or no enforcement. This is what needs to be changed.
But there is some good news. The MOES report finds that emissions from residential sector have reduced by half from 2010 to 2018. This is because of the increased penetration of LPG even in the poorer areas of the city. This means that something can be done. It will show up in the atmosphere. We will breathe better and cleaner air. This is where our efforts have to be deployed. This is where we must stay focused. Till next winter. With better news.
- Follow Sunita Narain on Twitter: @sunitanar
- To post your comments on this editorial, please click here
with thanks to Sunita Narain
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
9 out of 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air But more countries are taking action: WHO
GENEVA – Air pollution levels remain dangerously high in many parts of the world. New data from the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that 9 out of 10 people breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. Updated estimations reveal an alarming death toll of 7 million people every year caused by ambient (outdoor) and household air pollution.
“Air pollution threatens us all, but the poorest and most marginalized people bear the brunt of the burden,” says Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “It is unacceptable that over 3 billion people – most of them women and children – are still breathing deadly smoke every day from using polluting stoves and fuels in their homes. If we don’t take urgent action on air pollution, we will never come close to achieving sustainable development.”
7 million deaths every year
WHO estimates that around 7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in the polluted air that penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, causing diseases including stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections, including pneumonia.
Ambient air pollution alone caused some 4.2 million deaths in 2016, while household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels and technologies caused an estimated 3.8 million deaths in the same period.
More than 90% of air pollution-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, mainly in Asia and Africa, followed by low- and middle-income countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region, Europe and the Americas.
Around 3 billion people – more than 40% of the world’s population – still do not have access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in their homes, the main source of household air pollution. WHO has been monitoring household air pollution for more than a decade and, while the rate of access to clean fuels and technologies is increasing everywhere, improvements are not even keeping pace with population growth in many parts of the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
WHO recognizes that air pollution is a critical risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), causing an estimated one-quarter (24%) of all adult deaths from heart disease, 25% from stroke, 43% from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 29% from lung cancer.
More countries taking action
More than 4300 cities in 108 countries are now included in WHO’s ambient air quality database, making this the world’s most comprehensive database on ambient air pollution. Since 2016, more than 1000 additional cities have been added to WHO’s database which shows that more countries are measuring and taking action to reduce air pollution than ever before.
The database collects annual mean concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5). PM2.5 includes pollutants, such as sulfate, nitrates and black carbon, which pose the greatest risks to human health. WHO air quality recommendations call for countries to reduce their air pollution to annual mean values of 20 μg/m3 (for PM10) and 10 μg/m3 (for PM25).
“Many of the world’s megacities exceed WHO’s guideline levels for air quality by more than 5 times, representing a major risk to people’s health,” says Dr Maria Neira, Director of the Department of Public Health, Social and Environmental Determinants of Health, at WHO. “We are seeing an acceleration of political interest in this global public health challenge. The increase in cities recording air pollution data reflects a commitment to air quality assessment and monitoring. Most of this increase has occurred in high-income countries, but we hope to see a similar scale-up of monitoring efforts worldwide.”
While the latest data show ambient air pollution levels are still dangerously high in most parts of the world, they also show some positive progress. Countries are taking measures to tackle and reduce air pollution from particulate matter. For example, in just two years, India’s Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana Scheme has provided some 37 million women living below the poverty line with free LPG connections to support them to switch to clean household energy use. Mexico City has committed to cleaner vehicle standards, including a move to soot-free buses and a ban on private diesel cars by 2025.
Major sources of air pollution from particulate matter include the inefficient use of energy by households, industry, the agriculture and transport sectors, and coal-fired power plants. In some regions, sand and desert dust, waste burning and deforestation are additional sources of air pollution. Air quality can also be influenced by natural elements such as geographic, meteorological and seasonal factors.
Air pollution does not recognize borders. Improving air quality demands sustained and coordinated government action at all levels. Countries need to work together on solutions for sustainable transport, more efficient and renewable energy production and use and waste management. WHO works with many sectors including transport and energy, urban planning and rural development to support countries to tackle this problem.
Key findings:
- WHO estimates that around 90% of people worldwide breathe polluted air. Over the past 6 years, ambient air pollution levels have remained high and approximatively stable, with declining concentrations in some part of Europe and in the Americas.
- The highest ambient air pollution levels are in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and in South-East Asia, with annual mean levels often exceeding more than 5 times WHO limits, followed by low and middle-income cities in Africa and the Western Pacific.
- Africa and some of the Western Pacific have a serious lack of air pollution data. For Africa, the database now contains PM measurements for more than twice as many cities as previous versions, however, data was identified for only 8 of 47 countries in the region.
- Europe has the highest number of places reporting data.
- In general, ambient air pollution levels are lowest in high-income countries, particularly in Europe, the Americas and the Western Pacific. In cities of high-income countries in Europe, air pollution has been shown to lower average life expectancy by anywhere between 2 and 24 months, depending on pollution levels.
“Political leaders at all levels of government, including city mayors, are now starting to pay attention and take action,” adds Dr Tedros. “The good news is that we are seeing more and more governments increasing commitments to monitor and reduce air pollution as well as more global action from the health sector and other sectors like transport, housing and energy.”
With Thanks: WHO
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
MPD-2021
The issues mentioned in the Proposed modifications of DDA as well the Affidavit submitted with the SC say the same story. Even the Draft parking policy is there in it even before any discussion on various clauses. They just want your money by way of various Taxes, be it the GST, Road Tax, Toll Tax, House Tax, Conversion charges, One-time parking charges as well the proposed parking charges in the draft policy. And even after paying all such Taxes, there is no Job security, no social security and no benefits to the residents in the form of at least the health services even in this most polluted city. Do anything by paying under the table & get it regulated by paying over the table. Just this is the reason for all the mess in this city. The CRUX of the problem is, that none is serious enough to take care of OUR CITY.
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
BREATHE DELHI AIR, DIE EARLY !
BREATHE DELHI AIR, DIE EARLY :
What else we can expect from the Authorities ? Huge lot of Taxes, but nothing for the city. Say something, atleast now, for uploading on the RWABhagidari Blog & for forwarding to all the concerned. We must ACT now before its too late. Please revert.
With best regards,
B S Vohra
Social Activist, President,
East Delhi RWAs Joint Front - Federation
with thanks : Hindustan Times Dated 12.9.2017
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