Air pollution has reached such drastic proportions in our cities that we need to tailor our lives around it
Now that it has been proven that no deterrent can work with our cultural and behavioural patterns of celebration, be it Diwali or a shaadi, and that we are flagrant violators of cracker-bursting rules even on the edge of Doomsday, it is clearly time to awaken ourselves into action. And not one that is talked about animatedly during this time, when atmospheric conditions aggravate the effects of pollution that hangs heavy over our breaths, but long-term, implementable and actionable solutions. Hidden between headlines of PM 2.5 and PM 10 is the fact that other toxic components, like nitrous, sulphur oxides and benzene concentrations, are on the rise. So it is time to be as Diwali-vigilant about burning of crop residue and solid wastes in our hinterland. For that makes for 60 per cent of the pollutant overload and needs a workable and commercial logic in redressal. One needs to incentivise farmers not just with subsidy but providing for affordable cutting machines, popularising the use of stubble as organic fertilisers, alternative fuels and paper boards, encouraging alternative cropping patterns to reduce dependence on short window paddy-wheat patterns and generating awareness that adopting these measures are more profitable. They need to be made to feel that they are stakeholders in a new process rather than errants. There is a chronic shortage of incinerators and a recyclable waste management chain needs to be set up immediately. Anaerobic digestion plants can generate power from waste and this can take care of landfills. While power generation itself should look to solar and nuclear options and cut down on thermal, there should be equal emphasis on reducing construction dust. Agreed growth needs have to be complied with but there should be a simultaneous provision of norms to contain their effects, like a proportional raising of tree buffers to absorb particles — in fact, making that mandatory before project clearance — and fixing of water-spraying ratios rather than contemplate the very expensive cloud seeding protocols for artificial rain. Effluent-producing industries need to factor in pollutant management rather than being asked to shut operations overnight. Vehicular emissions are a problem and while they need to be kept in check with regulations on diesel guzzlers, fact is some restrictions need to be implemented for two-wheelers and autos as well, considering extreme conditions need extreme measures and need to be applied to all rather democratically. For industry, there could be a US-style cap trade system at play where the Government sets a cap on total emissions that a group of industries is allowed to emit and issues permits. Industries for whom it is easier to reduce emissions can in turn sell permits to other plants for whom it may be expensive to reduce.
Pollution is a classless problem and has reached such drastic proportions in our cities that we need to tailor our lives around it unanimously and respect enforcement as a medicine for survival rather than a punishment for having conveniences. For the density of pollutants has reached such saturation levels that even masks and air purifiers are of little or practically no avail. And we must reconcile to the longevity of a commonality of interests rather than short-term point scoring. Only then can we contain what is essentially a man-made problem.