AIR POLLUTION - Behaviour Change as Important as Technology
Advanced technology can clean up the air, but only when coupled with change in people's behaviourDelhi tops the charts in the world in terms of air pollution, but the city has good compa ny. Out of the 20 most polluted cities in the world, 13 are in North India, many of them not far from Delhi. Vehicular traffic is considered the main reason behind air pollution in Delhi, but are there other equally important factors as well?
Look at a completely different set of data: Cancer rates in Punjab. At 90 patients for every 1 lakh people, this state has higher cancer rates than the national average. Pesticide exposure is often blamed as the primary cause, but there are other hidden factors as well. For example, in the past few decades, Punjab farmers have been burning crop residue like never before. This increases the amount of particles and carcinogens in the atmosphere, and they travel long distances. “We have found high concentrations of carcinogens like benzene,“ says Vinayak Sinha, assistant professor of earth sciences at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Mohali.
Vehicular pollution is high enough in Indian cities, but burning of waste -crop residue as well as municipal solid waste -is another important factor behind the high levels of pollution in Delhi and other nearby cities. And neither shows any signs of abating. Emission norms for vehicles are im rms for vehicles are im proving rapidly , and Bharat V norms are quite stringent even by developed country standards. And yet, they would do little to reduce pollution un less other factors im prove simultaneously: phasing out of old ve hicles, improving traf fic flow, and stopping of burning waste.
Burning of waste is a national problem.
As the accompanying article shows, there are no easy solutions to solid waste accumu lation. Poor traffic flow contributes to pollution in cities. In a study at the Indian Institute of Technology in Guwahati, professor of Civil Engineering Sharad Gokhale found significant improvements in pollution during free flowing traffic, and also significant differences depending on the proportion of petrol and diesel vehicles. “We can reduce 15-20% of pollution in cities by mere traffic flow management,“ says Gokhale.
As far as emissions from cars are concerned, improving fuel and vehicle emission standards will reduce pollution significantly . There is a big leap technologically from Bharat IV to Bharat V , and vehicles are improving their performance not just through engine improvements. It may take some time for Bharat V norms to be implemented, but they are a considerable advance over Bharat IV , which itself has not been implemented throughout the country . For example, Bharat V norms demand the use of diesel particulate matter filters and require the use of direct injection of diesel.
Cars are in any case becoming lighter and thus more fuel efficient. The current Budget has some measures encouraging electric vehicles, but the country's electric grid may not be able to handle a large population of electric cars. Fuel cell cars might come one day , but not in the foreseeable future. “Unless there is a breakthrough soon, the internal combustion engine will be predominant for another 15 years,“ says CV Raman, executive director of engineering and R&D for Maruti Suzuki.
Look at a completely different set of data: Cancer rates in Punjab. At 90 patients for every 1 lakh people, this state has higher cancer rates than the national average. Pesticide exposure is often blamed as the primary cause, but there are other hidden factors as well. For example, in the past few decades, Punjab farmers have been burning crop residue like never before. This increases the amount of particles and carcinogens in the atmosphere, and they travel long distances. “We have found high concentrations of carcinogens like benzene,“ says Vinayak Sinha, assistant professor of earth sciences at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Mohali.
Vehicular pollution is high enough in Indian cities, but burning of waste -crop residue as well as municipal solid waste -is another important factor behind the high levels of pollution in Delhi and other nearby cities. And neither shows any signs of abating. Emission norms for vehicles are im rms for vehicles are im proving rapidly , and Bharat V norms are quite stringent even by developed country standards. And yet, they would do little to reduce pollution un less other factors im prove simultaneously: phasing out of old ve hicles, improving traf fic flow, and stopping of burning waste.
Burning of waste is a national problem.
As the accompanying article shows, there are no easy solutions to solid waste accumu lation. Poor traffic flow contributes to pollution in cities. In a study at the Indian Institute of Technology in Guwahati, professor of Civil Engineering Sharad Gokhale found significant improvements in pollution during free flowing traffic, and also significant differences depending on the proportion of petrol and diesel vehicles. “We can reduce 15-20% of pollution in cities by mere traffic flow management,“ says Gokhale.
As far as emissions from cars are concerned, improving fuel and vehicle emission standards will reduce pollution significantly . There is a big leap technologically from Bharat IV to Bharat V , and vehicles are improving their performance not just through engine improvements. It may take some time for Bharat V norms to be implemented, but they are a considerable advance over Bharat IV , which itself has not been implemented throughout the country . For example, Bharat V norms demand the use of diesel particulate matter filters and require the use of direct injection of diesel.
Cars are in any case becoming lighter and thus more fuel efficient. The current Budget has some measures encouraging electric vehicles, but the country's electric grid may not be able to handle a large population of electric cars. Fuel cell cars might come one day , but not in the foreseeable future. “Unless there is a breakthrough soon, the internal combustion engine will be predominant for another 15 years,“ says CV Raman, executive director of engineering and R&D for Maruti Suzuki.
