Better air by 2030? Plans need to change

The Times of India , Tuesday, May 09, 2017
Correspondent : Jayashree Nandi

New Delhi: The strategy to cut down air pollution levels in the capital by 2030 has to go much beyond the government's current plan and will perhaps have to be slightly different from the strategies adopted by western or industrialised countries, says a paper called 'Managing future air quality in mega cities — a case study for Delhi'.

According to the authors of the paper, to be published in Atmospheric Environment journal, significant gains will be achieved only if all government policies are implemented and improved upon. Steps will also have to be taken to regulate fireworks and "non-industrial" sources such as paving roads, improve waste management with ban on open trash burning and agricultural waste burning, and ensure complete phaseout of solid fuels by introducing electric or natural gas in Delhi, UP and Haryana.

The study aims to quantify the air quality gains from various strategies. It uses a current pollution inventory developed by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, which is then fed into Greenhouse Gas — Air Pollution Interactions and Synergies (GAINS) model developed by International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria to understand the future scenario.

The study looks at two scenarios — 'advanced technology' where the government will tighten emission control measures particularly for large-point sources like industries that emit gaseous pollutants and particulate matters (PM). But it will bring down the average annual PM 2.5 concentrations only by 10% but if further measures are taken under what the authors call 'Delhi clean air strategy' that tackle non-industrial sources, it can bring down concentrations by 30%.

Factoring in population and economic growth trends from 2015 to 2030, it found that recent regulations might control emissions from larger point sources but in Delhi the gains from BS VI implementation would be countered by higher non-exhaust emissions such as road dust, tyre and brake ware due to growth in traffic.

Air quality may further deteriorate despite current policy measures, said the study. Even after controlling traditional emission sources, a large share of pollution from surrounding areas will continue to affect Delhi, especially due to sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen emissions that will form secondary inorganic aerosols.

GAINS reiterates that about 40% of PM2.5 emissions originate within Delhi — the share increases to 55% at traffic hotspots — while about 60% of PM2.5 emissions are transported from outside the city.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/better-air-by-2030-plans-need-to-change/articleshow/58583965.cms
 


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