Air Pollution in Delhi – 1

There are so many agencies and eminent individuals, working on REDUCING pollution in Delhi. The issue is exercising the minds in Executive, Judiciary, NGOs many specialized agencies.  Even Delhi Police is submitting proposals to the High Court in Delhi !

Vehicular traffic is attacked by almost all, as the most immediate and easiest target to control pollution. And of course there are views, pro and con depending on which side of the political divide one is on, or which part of problem you are focused on, or specialize in.

Besides Vehicular traffic, Gensets, bulldozers & construction equipment (Construction activity itself), Wood burning and Coal burning, let out pollutants, each source having different signature profile of pollutants. Diesel engines produce more NOx than petrol engines since diesel combustion takes place at a higher temp. By the same criteria CNG engines also produce higher NOx.

And the DUST- road and airborne. 

Blind men and the Elephant!

There are a few UNSHAKABLE facts though: 

1. The DUST : Delhi is located in a "dust bowl"being close to a desert. 
2. Delhi registers Half a Million + vehicles every year of which 350,000 are two wheelers. 
3. It is the 2nd largest Conurbation with Population Density of 11,000+ people. 

Land being finite the Population Density will double by 2030.   

4. Delhi is a "flat" urban sprawl, a veritable concrete jungle. DDA colonies and Govt housing were designed with scooter garages. But the residents now have 2 cars. And people fight over parking spaces. 
5. Delhi boasts of 2 Sq Meters green spaces while equally dense conurbations like London and New York 18 times that.  

The miserable environment Delhites currently live in, is not difficult to imagine. 

It is therefore evident that we must target something more fundamental, not just pollution : Creation of an environment in which the Citizens can live and grow in a pleasant manner.