nAhead of approaching winter and resultant pollution in the air of the national Capital, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held deliberations with environmental experts to devise effective mechanism to combat pollution.
Experts lauded various initiatives taken by the Delhi Government to mitigate the impact of air pollutants including 'Odd-Even Scheme' and also generating awareness about use of 'masks' in the low areas of the city.
Citing pollution database report of January-2016 prepared during the implementation of odd-even car rationing policy, experts said that the policy had good impact.
Dr Ken Lee, the Executive Director of EPIC (Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago), India, said, "The January 2016 odd-even pilot reduced particulate air pollution concentrations by 14 to 16 percent. However, due to the possibility of compliance issues over the long-run, it is perhaps best suited as an emergency measure during the winter, when vehicle emissions are especially problematic."
Supporting the Odd- Even policy, OP Agarwal, CEO, WRI (World Resources Institute) India said, "In the short term, the Delhi government should look into measures to restrict indiscriminatory use of private automobiles in the city, such as odd even scheme. The government simultaneously should also focus on augmenting public transport in the long term."
Experts also recommended that while the various long-term measures take time to come into effect, the use of pollution masks could be beneficial as an effective risk mitigation measure.
In a study done by EPIC India across 3,500 slum residents of Delhi in winter of 2018, it was found that the take-up of masks was the highest when it was distributed for free.
"Certain types of pollution masks (N90 or N95 masks, for example) can be effective in reducing individual exposure to outdoor air pollution." "Our ongoing research, however, suggests that widespread adoption is limited by the lack of information about the harmful effects of air pollution, as well as social concerns or norms that discourage usage," said Dr Lee.
WRI India also recommended government support for wider dissemination of pollution masks as a risk mitigation measure in the winter months, especially for vulnerable groups such as school children.
Apart from the short-term interventions of odd-even policy and wider distribution of pollution masks, the experts also recommended that Delhi government should continue its focus on long-term measures to reduce air pollution like Electric Vehicle policy, Bus Aggregator Policy, reforms of Pollution Under Control Centres (PUCC).
Recently, Kejriwal sought suggestions from citizens to reduce pollution in the Capital during winter months when stubble burning in neighbouring States such as Punjab and Haryana affects its ambient air quality.
Quoting a report on pollution, prepared by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), he said that air pollution in Delhi has reduced by 25 percent over the last three years.
"It is extremely essential to avoid the situation of Delhi becoming a gas chamber every year with the advent of winter, mainly due to stubble burning in the nearby States. I met Haryana Chief Minister as well as Union Minister for Environment and got the assurance of positive steps in this regard," Kejriwal said earlier.
