Air emergency in Delhi, no signs of Grap

Delhi equalled its longest spell of severe air on Tuesday -- the sixth consecutive day of the city breathing in an air with most harmful levels of particulate and gaseous pollutants. Before this, the capital had breathed severe air for six consecutive days in 2016. However, there was no sign of emergency measures that used to kick in under the graded response action plan (Grap).

Even though India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast said that Delhi might experience a slight respite on Wednesday, but it will be “short-lived”, scientists said.

CPCB data showed that the overall AQI of Delhi on Tuesday was 476, in the severe category. On Monday, the AQI of the city was 477.

Tuesday began with pollution levels clocking an all time high of the season at 487. By 9am, at least 18 monitoring stations, such as Sirifort, Anand Vihar, Vivek Vihar, Bawana, Mundka, and Alipur recorded the maximum possible AQI recording of 500.

According to Central Pollution Control Board’s data, at 7pm on Tuesday, it was 48 hours since the PM 2.5 levels (ultrafine particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 micrometres) had constantly remained above the 300ug/m3 and 51 hours since the PM10 levels (particulate matter with diameter less than 10 micrometers) had been above the 500ug/m3 mark, pushing the city into the severe plus zone.

The national ambient air standard for PM2.5 is 60ug/m3 and 100ug/m3 for PM10.

Till 12 pm, the Dr Karni Sena Shooting Range station recorded a maximum PM2.5 level of 907ug/m3. In Mundka, these levels were as high as 1156ug/m3.

Such long episode of bad air mandates emergency measures under Grap, including odd-even road space rationing scheme, ban on all construction activities, entry of trucks that are not destined for the city, except those carrying essential commodities, etc. However, till late Tuesday, no such steps had been initiated by the agencies.

In a letter written to the CPCB late Thursday evening, the newly appointed Commission on Air Quality Management (CAQM) said “till a mechanism is set up by the commission, as an interim measure, the CPCB is entrusted with the task of operationalising and monitoring the Grap measures”.

The letter read, “...(the commission) has decided that in view of the deteriorating air quality in NCR region, there is need to invoke the Grap already notified by the central government.”

Responding to this direction a CPCB spokesperson said that the monitoring body will issue the required directions on Wednesday looking at the AQI.

Experts, however, said that the agencies should have been more proactive and this late direction by the commission was “too little, too late”.

“We have reached a point where the measures listed under Grap should automatically be implemented according to the AQI levels, without having to give any directions. I understand that the commission has just been formed and is taking some time to get used to this system, but we already have a mechanism in place, CPCB taskforce is supposed to monitor the air quality levels and recommend action. There is no excuse for not doing that,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (research and advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment.

She said that let alone bringing in additional measures, the authorities seem to be struggling with the enforcement of the basic measures listed under Grap, and Tuesday’s situation was a classic example of that.

“Delhi air pollution is in the severe category, the ministry of earth sciences’ prediction suggests that the AQI will remain very high even tomorrow (Wednesday) and reduce marginally on November 12...A lot of challenges for the commission for air quality over NCR set up by the government of India,” said Madhavan Rajeevan, secretary, union ministry of earth sciences.

Rajeevan added, “Let us not expect this pollution problem will be resolved quickly. Even China took 15 years to clean up their air. We need consistent and sincere efforts by all stakeholders without any blame game.”

Last year, the now dissolved Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority had restricted construction activities and the operation of hot mix plants in the city from October 26, before calling for a complete ban on construction from November 5, as a preventive measure to control the rise of pollution levels. The ban was finally lifted by the Supreme Court in February this year.

“We are implementing Grap and will continue to do so. Its implementation does not depend on Epca,” said RP Gupta, secretary, union environment ministry.

Scientists at the IMD said that a change in the wind direction and improved wind speed came to the rescue of the city, and after 2pm, the air quality started showing marginal improvement.

VK Soni, head of IMD’s environment monitoring research centre, said that the wind direction changed to easterly on Tuesday afternoon, which reduced the impact of the high instances of stubble burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana on Delhi’s air.

“The wind picked up to reach around 8kmph during the day but there was so much pollution accumulation that its impact was not immediately seen in the air quality. We are hoping that we will be able to get out of the severe plus category through Tuesday night. Easterly winds will continue till Thursday,” Soni said.

Kuldeep Srivastava, head of IMD’s regional weather forecasting centre, said that this relief, however, will be short-lived.

“From Thursday, the wind direction will change again to north-westerly, which will be conducive to bring the plumes of smoke from Punjab and Haryana. There is also a possibility that Delhi and NCR towns might get light rain around Friday and Saturday, which means that the moisture in the air lead to pollutants latching on closer to the surface, worsening the air quality further,” Srivastava said.