How unhealthy can the air we breathe get? Well, how about air so bad that it is five to 16-times higher than the level considered “unhealthy” by the U.S. environmental protection agency (EPA). We are talking about Delhi, India.
On November 11, Reuters reported that Delhi’s smog had lifted, giving residents a respite from the worst smog the city had experienced in 17 years. But the respite was short-lived because air quality took another downturn by the end of the day.
Today, the Hindustan Times is reporting the air quality index (AQI) as “severe;” well above the prescribed limits. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the AQI for Delhi remained “severe” with the index value 420.
Air pollution is measured as particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) which can seep down into the respiratory tract causing all kinds of respiratory illnesses. Levels of PM 2.5 above 400 ppm are considered to be “severe.”
The Delhi government is vacuum cleaning and washing city streets in an effort to reduce the dust causing the pollution. All construction and demolition activities are also on hold and even the power plant was shut down, according to Inhabitat.
The Centre for Environmental Health at the Public Health Foundation of India manager Bhargav Krishna told The New York Times, “These are all decent emergency measures, but they’re not solving the long-term problem.”
Delhi has the dubious distinction of being the most polluted city on Earth. AQI measurements recorded at the U.S. Embassy last week recorded an astounding AQI of 999, even though the chart ends at 500. This level of pollution is extremely unhealthy, akin to someone smoking two or more packs of cigarettes a day.
Pollution during the winter months in northern India
Winter months in Delhi are particularly worrisome for many people, so much so that thousands of professionals have taken leave of the city, going elsewhere until the season is over.
Worried about the hazardous clouds of dust, smoke and fumes hanging over the city during the winter months, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the founder of PayTM payment start-up, flew to Mumbai last Saturday for a temporary stay. “It became very visibly clear that it is going to be tough in Delhi, especially with young kids,” Sharma told Reuters from Mumbai.
Many companies have installed air purifiers, allowed some people to work at home, or even hired buses at their own expense to transport workers to and from their jobs, all in an effort to reduce the air pollution’s effects on their employees.
Car manufacturers are not faring well because politicians want better emission controls and there is talk of re-instituting the odd-even vehicle traffic plan. The housing industry and tourist companies are also complaining about the downturn in business. About the only businesses making a profit from the terrible air quality are the ones selling face masks and air purifiers, and those sales have been soaring.
The many contributors to the pollution problem
The major sources of India’s air pollution include fuel-wood and biomass burning, fuel adulteration, vehicle emissions and traffic congestion. We can also add the annual large-scale burning of crop residue by farmers in the fall, a low-cost alternative to mechanical tilling as a major contributor to smoke, smog and particulate pollution.
While the country has made some inroads in regulating air pollution, the country was still ranked at 141 out of 180 countries by the 2016 Environmental Performance Index. The U.K. was ranked at 12, Canada at 25, and the U.S. received a ranking of 26, all three countries falling into the top 30 countries with the lowest rankings.
But it is fuel-wood and biomass burning that are the biggest contributors to the persistent haze the enshrouds rural and urban India. Fuel-wood and biomass cakes are used for cooking and general heating needs. And as recently as 2009, millions of Indians were still using dried cow dung, agricultural waste and firewood as cooking fuel.
A recent report by the World Health Organization claims 300,000 to 400,000 people die of indoor air pollution and carbon monoxide poisoning in India because of biomass burning.
While some people are looking for a reprieve from the pollution as the weather turns colder, there are still millions of people that have to rely on burning trash to keep their homes warm, and that trash can include plastics and rubber products, big contributors to indoor air pollution.
