Can We Make Delhi Pollution Free?

Maintaining a clean and green environment is vital for any nation. Measures recommended by the Central Pollution Control Board must be adhered to; else citizens will suffer the consequences or will be required to find effective solutions to prevent the same.

Our country has great minds full of innovative and viable ideas to resolve the problem of pollution. The need of the hour is to bring these ideas into reality.

The air quality in the world’s most polluted capital city, Delhi is 486. This is very high and dangerous to the mankind.

Air Quality Index Measures
0-50 AQI -> healthy

51-100 AQI -> Moderate

101-200 AQI -> Polluted

201 – 300 AQI -> Heavy Pollution

300 -> Severe

Of late, the air pollution status in Delhi has undergone many changes in terms of the levels of pollutants and the control measures taken to reduce them. Studies on air pollution and mortality from Delhi found that all-natural-cause mortality and morbidity increased with increased air pollution. Delhi has taken several steps to reduce the level of air pollution in the city during the last 10 years. However, more still needs to be done to further reduce the levels of air pollution.

Some steps that can be taken which can reduce the pollution level significantly:-

1. The first and the foremost being a plantation drive. The Delhi government must launch a campaign to plant trees in the city. Only fresh air can counter the excessive amount of pollutants that have enveloped the air of Delhi-NCR.
   

2. The NGT (National Green Tribunal) has directed the state governments of Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to immediately ban the burning of crop residue. In earlier orders, the practice was contributing to the rising air pollution in the NCR and thereby, this move might give the residents the much-needed relief from pollution.

3. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued directions to all authorities to strictly implement earlier orders regarding the ban on burning of waste and fine on the emission of construction dust.

4. Odd/Even rule, wherein cars with odd-numbered registration plates would play on odd dates and those with even-numbered registration plates would do so on even dates, will come into effect on Monday. The idea is to reduce congestion as well as to reduce pollution resulting from vehicular emissions. However, this may only prove to be a temporary solution.

5. The Supreme Court has ordered that all taxis plying in the city must convert to CNG from March this year. Also, commercial vehicles which are registered before 2005 won’t be allowed to enter the national capital. Switching to environment-friendly alternative fuel is always a welcome idea.

6. Construction of foot paths / widening the roads up to the boundary limit along the major roads to minimize natural dust and congestion.

7. If the distance is more than 20 km then people have the purpose of bikes. If it is less than 20 km they can use bicycles in order to save the environment, to save the fossil fuels, to reduce the traffic.
   

The responsibility of reducing the pollution in the city is now on every Delhiite. Hope we will give our contribution to make this city pollution-free. If you have any suggestions for reducing the pollution, feel free to share with us in the comments.