Among all the cities in India, Delhi is the most polluted cities in the world. In the ranking of the world’s most polluted city, Delhi holds first rank for the second consecutive year. The pollution level in Delhi is increasing year per year. Due to the increase in pollution, it is believed that the pollution is shortening the lives of Delhi people by ten years. The air quality is getting day by day. It is also believed that breathing in the capital is equal to smoking fifty cigarettes per day. Delhi is also considered as a gas chamber by the CM of Delhi.
The major causes which are responsible for pollution in Delhi are construction activities, waste burning, emissions from public and private vehicles, garbage problem, industries, cooking, fireworks during festivals and celebrations. It is also believed that the neighbouring states such as Haryana, UP, and Punjab is responsible for the pollution in Delhi. The stubble burning by the farmers of the respected states also contribute in the bad air quality and pollution in India. After research, it was found from the satellite images captured by ISRO that the neighbouring states is responsible only for the twenty per cent of the pollution in the capital and the farmers should not only be blamed for the increasing pollution in the capital. CM of Delhi has asked the neighbouring states to upgrade thermal plants in NCR area and to promote use of CNG vehicles and has urged them to work together to clean air. It is also found that single largest contributor of capital’s pollution is road dust. Increase in the registrations of the vehicles in the capital is also the highest in the country which also contributes into the worsening of the pollution level in Delhi. The households in the capital have more than one vehicle in the family due to which the emissions from the vehicle also pollute the environment. The numbers of vehicles on the road are more than the capacity which leads to long traffic jams. This traffic congestion does not allow the polluted air to escape. The pollution level reaches to its peak during the festival season due to burning of fire crackers. Delhi government have to shut down schools and college as the pollution level worsens during this period. Low speed winds also traps the air pollutants in the lower atmosphere which worsen the air quality badly.
This increasing pollution is hazardous for the health of the people living in Delhi as it can cause many serious health problems. Majority of the old age and children are affected mainly due to air pollution and bad air quality as they are not able to breathe properly. Several lung and heart patients are in danger due to bad air quality as they are not able to breathe properly and it affects blood pressure, heart rate, and blood clotting. People suffer from eye irritation, skin irritation, and chronic headache due to air pollution in Delhi. Majority of the population live in the areas where the annual average particulate level exceeds the safe WHO limit. Air pollution in Delhi also increases chances of lung cancer, heart diseases, and respiratory infections. The number of people died in Delhi due to pollution and bad air quality are around 54 thousand premature deaths in 2020. Yearly, the
death rates in Delhi are around 10 thousand to 30 thousand and daily around 80-100 people die due to air pollution. During the winter months (November to February), smog-filled air covers the capital which contains the dangerous high levels of fine particulate matter which is called PM2.5. It is a very small particle that can clog lungs and can cause very severe disease. The increase in air pollution over the past few decades is mainly due to an increase in use of fossil fuels, economic development, and industrialisation.
Anisha Sharma
BA (Honours) Mathematics
Ambedkar University Delhi
