Clean Air is A Public Good ..World Environment Day, June 5

by Mr. KUNAL SHARMA, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation

Tackling Air Pollution in Indian Cities: Getting Started..



In today's growth driven world, clean air is a public good that must rely on good governance to persist; the air we breathe needs to be treated as a resource that we value First, our public officials need to acknowledge, publicly, the extent of the problem and begin building the case for measures that need to be introduced to tackle rising air pollution in our cities...

Second, public awareness on air pollution needs to vastly increase

I vividly recall how in the mid 1990s my eyes would often water while travelling by  3 wheeler in Delhi. Such was the severity of air pollution in those days that you inevitably shed a tear or /  two every time you went up a flyover.

That's the height at which it seemed the plume of air pollutants hung over Delhi, causing irritation to the eyes as you came in contact with it.

In contrast, Delhi's air seems cleaner today and I expect that many who have lived in the city during the past 2 decades will agree with me. Starting in the mid nineties, a substantial improvement in the quality of Delhi's air took place due to several measures taken by the government. These included conversion of the public transport fleet to CNG, introduction of cleaner automotive fuels and relocation of polluting industries to outside city limits.

Mr. KUNAL SHARMA,
Shakti Sustainable
Energy Foundation.

However, air quality data indicates that much of the gains achieved through such measures have now eroded. To blame are rapid urban development and a booming number of vehicles.

The situation is similar in most other Indian cities; only a handful of cities currently achieve the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for pollutants like PM10 and PM2.5, while NO2 and Ozone pollution levels are areas of growing concern.

 World Health Organisation

A World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality database released earlier this year reveals that 13 Indian cities feature among the top 20 in the world on monitored levels of PM2.5.

Delhi occupied the top spot, while Patna, Gwalior, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Amritsar and Ludhiana, all made the list.

A vast body of scientific research confirms that inhalation of Particulate Matter (PM) leads to health effects like asthma, lung cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, birth defects, and premature death.

The smallest particles are the most dangerous as they are able to penetrate the deepest part of the lungs. Fine particulates like PM2.5, which are particles of size 2.5 microns (10-6 meters) or smaller, are usually emitted from anthropogenic sources like automobiles, industrial boilers and generator sets.

Large emissions coupled with high population exposure levels yield staggering estimates for the loss India suffers due to air pollution. 

The latest WHO Global Burden of Disease assessment concludes that 627,000 Indians died early in 2010 from exposure to ambient air pollution. 

A 2013 World Bank study estimates that exposure to air pollution resulted in an annual loss of Rs. 2 trillion, or nearly 3 % of our GDP (Gross Domestic Product), due to resultant health impacts.

If these numbers come as a surprise, then here is the kicker: a 2011 Gallup survey spanning 140 countries found 90 % of Indians to be satisfied with the quality of air in their city or area where they live. That puts India among the top 10 countries in satisfaction level, and in a group that includes Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and Germany!

How can this be?

That's where my experience of travelling around Delhi in three-wheelers may provide an answer. Older Indians are seemingly satisfied because they have seen worse levels of air pollution in the past and feel they are better off today.

Younger Indians on the other hand lack a similar point of reference and so are 'satisfied' as they currently suffer a huge knowledge deficit on the threat that air pollution poses to them and society.

Given that air pollution gravely threatens the wellbeing of most Indians and the relative ignorance of the population to this threat, it's the Indian government that must act.

Furthermore, in today's growth driven world, clean air is a public good that must rely on good governance to persist; the air we breathe needs to be treated as a resource that we value. But in contrast to the 1990s, where government action came primarily as a reaction to public outcry and court directives, today a more proactive approach on the part of the Indian government is required.

To begin with I believe at least two things need to happen.

First, our public officials need to acknowledge, publicly, the extent of the problem and begin building the case for measures that need to be introduced to tackle rising air pollution in our cities. This is important. In recent times releases of major global studies on air pollution have often been met with seeming denial in India, primarily by questioning the validity of data, or led to futile discussions, such as on whether Delhi or Beijing has dirtier air. Rather than be defensive, these moments should be seized as opportunities to build political will for action.

Second, public awareness on air pollution needs to vastly increase. Citizens need to be appropriately informed so that they understand the risks that rising air pollution poses, are willing to support control measures and in specific instances directly bear the costs (such as marginally higher prices for cleaner petrol and diesel) and take precautionary measures when necessary.

Daily exercise

Many Delhi residents who like to get their daily exercise in the mornings probably do not know that in the winter months the highest concentration of pollutants occurs during the early morning hours as emissions from the thousands of trucks that pass through the city are trapped close to the ground due to thermal inversion.

Providing easy access to reliable air quality monitoring information and issuance of health advisories, as is now available in many countries around the world, is a good place to start. Of course the real work will still be left to be done and it will require time. To clean up the skies of

Indian cities, the government will need to draw up and implement a judicious portfolio of control measures.

But given where we stand today, if the aforementioned two outcomes are achieved over the next few years, we will be off to a decent start.

About the author..

The author KUNAL SHARMA, is a Senior Programme Manager, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, New Delhi.

The views expressed are his own. and do not imply endorsement by the Foundation.

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