The Question is... Who Turned Delhi into a Gas Chamber?
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Dear Reader,
This last November — like every November in the last decade — was harrowing for those living in Delhi. For more than 30 days, Delhiites were exposed to extremely toxic air, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) breaching the severe category.
This means that a Delhiite was inhaling higher proportions of gases like carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, ammonia, nitrogen dioxide, dust and the devious particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), which penetrates the bloodstream and can cause lung and heart diseases.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) prescribes PM2.5 exposure be limited to not more than 5µg/m³ per year. However, in Delhi, the exposure averages 100 µg/m³ per year — 20 times the prescribed value.
So, the question is... why does this keep happening year after year after year?
To check air pollution in Delhi, the Supreme Court directed the Commission for Air Quality Management or CAQM to enforce the stringent stage-4 of the Graded Response Action Plan. GRAP-IV bans the entry of diesel trucks into Delhi, prohibits the plying of old (BS-IV standard) vehicles, and forbids any construction or demolition activities.
Classes moved online, half of the government staff worked from home, and air purifiers sold like hotcakes — sales reportedly doubled in Delhi in November — yet Delhi’s AQI barely showed any improvement.
Despite court-mandated stringent measures, why did Delhi’s air quality continue to deteriorate?
In recent hearings, the Supreme Court pointed out the “abject failure” and “complete lack of coordination” among the MCD, the DPCC, and the Delhi Police in implementing these pollution control measures.
The top court-appointed 13 court commissioners to inspect if GRAP-IV restrictions were being enforced properly. I accessed the reports submitted by these court commissioners in the Supreme Court only to find GRAP restrictions being blatantly flouted.
They pointed out:
rampant construction being carried out in South Delhi, Greater Noida, and Dwarka Expressway
unattended construction material adding to the dust (PM10)
biomass and waste being burnt at various spots in Delhi
an estimated 5.5 lakh kilograms of wood being burnt daily in Delhi’s slums for cooking
diesel trucks entering Delhi through major border points in the absence of CCTV cameras and Delhi government personnel to man-check posts;
traffic mismanagement causing congestion and bottlenecks at several check posts, worsening the air quality in those areas and defeating the purpose
stubble burning in and around Delhi
In my detailed report, I explain how grave violations of GRAP-IV turned Delhi into a gas chamber in November.
How 'Grave Violations' of GRAP-IV Turned Delhi into a Gas Chamber in November
For more, watch my video:
The Quint is committed to reporting on Delhi's air quality crisis and political parties’ ignorance towards it. Your support will help us conduct on-ground investigations and collaborate with experts as we tackle one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time.
Thank you,
AAKRITI HANDA
Special Correspondent
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