Children in Delhi are facing a high health risk due to particulate pollution from vehicles, according to a report by the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) submitted in the court on Friday. The report produced evidence gathered by the Government in 2012 when a sample study conducted among 12,000 schoolchildren from 36 Delhi schools showed that the sputum of Delhi children contained “four times more iron-laden macrophages” than relatively cleaner environs indicating “pulmonary haemorrhage”.
The study was commissioned by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) which concluded, “Every third child has reduced lung function. There is evidence to show greater exposure to particulate pollution.” The EPCA chaired by environmentalist and former bureaucrat Bhure lal informed the green bench of the apex court that ignoring this evidence, the Centre “downplayed” role of vehicular pollution adding to the pollution load in Delhi.
Based on the evidence gathered, the EPCA has recommended the apex court that “immediate, stringent and pollution emergency measures will have to be taken to protect most vulnerable in the city.” The Union Environment Ministry in an affidavit filed recently in apex court generated debate by suggesting that vehicles contributed to only 6 per cent of pollution load in Delhi. later, in a revised affidavit, the Ministry conceded that the figures were based on an old study and pegged the particulate pollution in Delhi to be roughly 20 per cent.
There seems to be no decisive benchmark to accept even the revised figures supplied by the Ministry. The EPCA report produced another set of Government figures to show that the pollution generated by tiny particulate matter of size 2.5 micrometres in the city was 45 per cent. The Ministry of Earth Sciences had done this study in 2010 just before the start of the Commonwealth Games.
To have a clear picture, the Centre has launched a National Air Quality Index (AQI) in October 2014 but without setting any timeline for its actual implementation for which even this decision has met criticism from Bhure lal Committee. The EPCA showed proof of how particulate pollution emerging out of vehicles made a significant difference to Delhi air as it analysed air on national holidays. On Republic Day of 2013 particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) at RK Puram declined by 1.5 times and shot up 2.25 times two days after. Similarly on Gandhi Jayanti (October 2) the same year, PM10 levels at RK Puram stood at 63 microgram/cubic meter and steadily rose to 151 microgram (October 4) and 251 microgram (October 5).