Delhi needs more smog towers!

Does Delhi need more smog towers? This question is being raised in several circles as demand for smog towers is growing in several parts of the capital city Delhi and NCR. As Delhi has faced critical situation in the recent past the administrative and environmental structure have come out with a robust ‘solution’ in form of smog towers... read more

Delhi pollution: Time to move ahead

Chandan Sharma

So. What is the plan for Delhi now? The city, that faced severe pollution crisis for several days or say over three weeks. Over 1.3 crore residents of Delhi have been denied fundamental right to live (and to breathe) amid breathlessness and hazardous smog for several days. Union government got a huge jolt as the parliamentarians discussed the issue in the both the houses of the parliament (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) continuously for three days to awake the government and people of the country from deep slumber and to take appropriate action to tackle the issue of climate change, pollution crisis and health emergency. It is another matter that the issue was sidelined amid some unprecedented political developments took place in Mumbai.

Even the Supreme Court of India has to intervene into matter and made sharpest comments on the administration and government on failure of tackling the crisis. And, Union Minister of Environment Prakash Javadekar had to make a detailed statement in the parliament on the issue. But, despite all the issue yet to be resolved. Air Quality Index (AQI) in different parts of Delhi is still not going down to normal level or healthier level. Interesting fact is that other metropolitan cities like Mumbai or Bangalore or some others are not facing such a severe crisis despite having several industrial units in these cities or their adjoining areas. In some areas level of pm 2.5 is much below than 100 mark that indicate healthier AQI.

It must be noted climate change is probably the biggest challenge around the globe and so the pollution too. The solution has finally been worked out in form of ‘air purifier towers’, use of mask, odd-even and some other tougher measures. But, here we must understand that Delhi has hardly any big polluting industrial units. Even, coal based power generation units too are now converted into gas-based power plants. Certainly, a large amount of pollutants come from adjoining state as large number of industries are operated in the adjoining areas apart from stubble burning.

Long ago, the union minister Prakash Javadekar, talked about pollution sucker or a kind of air pollution treatment plants, mounted over chimneys or such polluting units. The minister is now a minister of heavy industry too. So it much easier for the government to take action in this regard and force such units to install such environmental friendly units. This will a great help to reduce air pollution. 

Administrative steps and better governance will certainly yield results if it is done with co-ordination with other NCR states. On the occasion of ‘world climate strike day’, when world’s large number of younger generation came on street to fight their own right to breathe in a cleaner and healthier air and environmentalists and top leaders gathered for better climate in Spain in next week it is certainly an important step to stop some countries (including US) to ignore the issue of pollution and climate emergency. 

(Chandan Sharma is founder of Yuvavani.com)     ( yuvavani.com is a pvt. Initiative Not a part of AIR/any outlet/outfit/ppp )

    

Lithium-ion batteries soon to be matter of past!

Chandan Sharma

Is lithium-ion battery; that bagged Nobel award in 2019, going to be a matter of past? At least, new researches in this concern indicate so. Interesting fact is that the Indian policy makers believe that these batteries are not suitable for Indian requirements.

This has been indicated by NITI Aayog’s senior officials during a discussion on the issue in New Delhi. According to them “India needs new technology which suits Indian environment and requirements. It may be Aluminium batteries or hydrogen fuel or something else.”

According to him, though lithium ion batteries are working in e-vehicles but considering the requirement, weather and environment researchers should consider some new technology for the future.

Scientists and engineers, working in the field of the e-vehicles say that the lithium-ion batteries are not suitable option for public transport as it is very heavy and expensive. Moreover, recharging of these batteries is still a big issue for manufacturers of such vehicles.

It is notable that Delhi is already working on a plan to introduce hydrogen fuel for public transportation facilities, considering the volume of pollution on roads and number of daily passengers in the NCR areas.

It is notable that over 40 lakh vehicles are operating in the capital city on daily basis. The scheme like odd-even and others emergency measures unable to yield enough results to reduce pollution in the city.

It is an interesting fact that the metro train (DMRC) that has been mandated to provide high speed public transportation system, is now working extensively on a plan to ply e-rickshaws to ferry its passengers to their homes. This is certainly a move to distract its main task to provide passengers a comfortable high speed public transportation system, despite the fact that the move is intended to enhance revenue of the company. The company is already making huge money from the outdoor advertising (mostly of Kejriwal government); snatching bread and butter of dying print media and online and electronic media. Needless to say that DAVP plays an important role in this concern by authorizing these government ventures to convert into advertising ventures.

But it is a matter of fact that metro is least polluting public transport system. It will be better if it remains a public transport system than the advertising kiosks.

(Chandan Sharma is founder of Yuvavani.com; A pvt. initiative not part of AIR or any ppp)