Shirking responsibility, civic authorities, citizens, farmers, and industry owners are indulging in a blame game over the rising concentration of contaminants in the city air, even as highly toxic pollutants begin to show signs of spiralling out of control.
According to statistics, pollution-related health complications cause 7-8 million deaths globally. Children below the age of five and the elderly are especially susceptible due to biological factors and underlying medical conditions.
The United Nations (UN) had adopted the combatting of ambient or outdoor air pollution in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to curtail the massive loss of life due to the growing menace. Closer to home, the Government of India launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) for 130 cities in 2019.
The plan incentivises civic bodies recording the largest rollback in air pollution, especially the curbing of PM10.PM10 or Particulate Matter up to 10 microns (0.01 mm) in size includes the deadly PM2.5 or Particulate Matter measuring 2.5 microns or less.
These inhalable microscopic particles can be emitted by natural sources, such as trees and vegetation, as well as human causes, such as industrial processes and motor vehicle exhaust. Both central and state pollution control boards say that particulate matter, PM10, and PM2.5 are the primary pollutants in the city, coaxing medical practitioners to issue advisories for those susceptible to cardiopulmonary ailments.
Pollution control officials inform that the incidence of stagnating airborne pollutants depends on several factors, including weather and topographical conditions, with particulate matter registering a surge during low humidity and winter months. The natural phenomenon is further worsened by citizens who insist on remaining ignorant of the deadly toxins and refuse to give up practices that vitiate the air for fear of projected losses.
Though primarily responsible for curbing pollutants in the city air by bringing in stringent, if unpopular, measures, civic officials blame the citizenry for failing to shoulder their part of the burden by adopting the prescribed changes.They say that it is up to the citizens to follow guidelines and norms issued to various groups from time to time, as the administration can only deploy a certain amount of resources for the purpose.
The citizenry, on the other hand, remains divided, with the urban blaming the rural and the rich accusing the poor, and vice versa, for the downgrading of breathable air.The middle class and the poor believe that emissions from factories, as well as a variety of transportation activities, add to the pollution, as do a growing number of eateries that use solid fuels.
However, the wealthy say that the poor burn wood and coal for cooking in rural areas. While cities have only a few rich people, rural areas have countless poor people. So, how can more pollution be blamed on the wealthy?"Although factories emit smoke, they comply with government standards, and if these factories were closed, many people would lose their jobs, increasing poverty. So, how can they be blamed?" they question.
The urban-rural debate is no less stark, with farmers claiming that they have no option but to consign crop residues to flames, as the leftover from paddy yields takes months to decompose and even threatens the mainstay wheat crop that farmers in the region sow during the winter months.
They contend that they have burned crop residues for generations without causing harm to the environment, which they claim is worsening due to inadequate policies to control vehicular emissions in the city. They further add that unchecked building activity and the use of known pollutants, such as refrigerators and air conditioners, are to blame.
With the administration beginning to show signs of toughening its stance over pollution, many believe that the poor and the powerless will have to bear the brunt of civic action, which will pussyfoot for fear of stepping on the toes of big-ticket polluters.
At a time when the city’s AQI is repeatedly breaching the 300 mark, and both stakeholders and the administration are indulging in buck-passing, there is little hope of a curb in pollution levels in the near future, except for a spell of winter showers. God willing.
