Delhi’s air needs 24/7 efforts, all year round

Every winter, 23 million Delhi residents gasp for breath, and the solution can’t be knee-jerk or temporary

Each year, the Delhi government releases a list of measures to combat air pollution, now a defining trait of the National Capital Region in winter. On Monday, this exercise was repeated with tedious familiarity: construction bans, staggered office timings, restrictions on the entry of older petrol and diesel vehicles registered outside the city, and higher parking charges. This is akin to putting a bandage where surgery is needed.

Endless construction activities and poor public transit create a traffic mess, which toll plazas at the city’s perimeters worsen by forcing vehicles to idle for long. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Last year, dust emerged as the key source of pollution. Yet, this did not stop the authorities from kicking off major infrastructural projects just before winter. To be sure, dust control measures do not apply to such projects. This year, the Public Works Department (PWD) has set November 30 as the deadline for resurfacing and renovating 600km of the capital’s roads but has done little to meet that target.

Many big cities in the world have realised that unless parking becomes prohibitively expensive, commuters do not move to public transport. Add to that Delhi’s less-than-robust public transport system and poor last-mile connectivity. The metro only carries 5% of the city’s commuters. At least 14,000 buses are needed, against less than half of that currently ply. And buses must make commuters, especially women, feel safe.

Endless construction activities and poor public transit create a traffic mess, which toll plazas at the city’s perimeters worsen by forcing vehicles to idle for long. Last year, the Supreme Court directed the MCD to consider temporarily closing or shifting nine toll plazas. MCD promised barrierless toll plazas at “20 major entry points by October” this year, but this work has not even begun. Clearly, pollution-mitigating efforts vanish once the grey skies of Delhi winters show shades of blue in early summer — and reappear after a year. Every winter, 23 million Delhi residents gasp for breath, and the solution can’t be knee-jerk or temporary. An effective strategy, developed with expert help, must be implemented and monitored 24/7, all year round. Routinely made big announcements don’t help.