New Policy To Fight Air Pollution In Delhi-NCR

The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) on Wednesday unveiled a new policy which lists sector-wise action plans to curb air pollution in Delhi-NCR in the next five years.

According to the policy, which comes into effect immediately, all thermal power plants located within 300 kilometer radius of Delhi will have to ensure compliance with emission standards as per the deadline set by the Union environment ministry.

The policy talks about phasing out diesel-run auto-rickshaws in Gurugram, Faridabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad by December 31, 2024 and the remaining districts in the National Capital Region (NCR) by December 31, 2026.

Only Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric autos will be registered in NCR from January 1, 2023. Fuels pumps in Delhi-NCR will not give fuel to vehicles not having a valid pollution-under-check certificate from January 1, 2023, it said.

State governments have been asked to implement scrappage policy for the end-of-life vehicles that cannot be used any more.

Delhi and all NCR states will have to develop a plan to create a CNG and LNG fuelling network in NCR and on highways to shift long-haul trucking and other commercial vehicles to gas.

"In view of much higher and escalating prices of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) as compared to conventional fuels, there is a case for uniform and affordable pricing structure to make operations economically viable while also maintaining the imperatives of protecting the air quality. PNG could be considered under the ambit of lower slabs under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime," the policy document read.

The use of coal in industrial application will be banned from January 1, 2023.

To prevent stubble burning, Punjab and Haryana will have to utilise 6 million tonnes and 2 million tonnes of paddy straw industrial applications, respectively as well as thermal power plants, biomass power and production of bio-fuels by December 31, 2026.

The policy also stressed the need to upscale the application of bio-decomposer solution, which decomposes paddy straw, in the harvest season this year.

For effective traffic management, the policy mandates the development of early warning systems to inform commuters and plan route diversions in Delhi, Gurugram, Faridabad, Gautam Buddh Nagar and Ghaziabad districts.

It also focuses on strengthening the quality of air pollution data and filling gaps through sensor-based monitoring to cover rural and peri-urban areas.

Uninterrupted use of diesel generators will be allowed only for emergency purposes during the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) period. There will be no restrictions on diesel generator (DG) sets fully running on PNG, LPG, biogas, propane or butane.

The policy was framed after the Supreme Court in December last year directed the CAQM to invite suggestions from general public and experts in the field to “find permanent solution to the air pollution menace" in Delhi-NCR.

The commission had in January constituted an expert group to consider the suggestions received from the general public and experts and suggest a policy to curb air pollution.

As part of the policy, the CAQM also revamped the Graded Response Action Plan -- a set of anti-air pollution measures followed in Delhi and its vicinity according to the severity of the situation.

The revised plan focuses on proactive implementation of the curbs based on forecasts. Earlier, the authorities would implement the measures only after the PM2.5 and PM10 concentration touched a particular threshold.

The new plan also entails a ban on BS IV four-wheeler diesel vehicles, barring those engaged in essential services, in Delhi and the bordering districts of NCR if the air quality index (AQI) breaches the 450-mark.

The Graded Response Action Plan, notified by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in 2017, comes into force mid-October when air pollution levels in the region start worsening.

The GRAP for NCR has now been classified under four different stages of adverse air quality in Delhi: Stage I - 'Poor' (AQI 201-300); Stage II - 'Very Poor' (AQI 301-400); Stage III - 'Severe' (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV - 'Severe Plus' (AQI >450).

Prof S N Tripathi, steering committee member, National Clean Air Programme said the comprehensive sector-wise policy developed by CAQM is a welcome move to control and abate air pollution.

"Broadly based on an airshed approach for NCR, it is good to see targeted actions and timelines recommended for every sector. The focus on strengthening the quality of air pollution data and filling gaps through sensor-based monitoring to cover rural and peri-urban areas will help authorities make evidence-driven decisions for better mitigation and abatement measures," he said.

Aarti Khosla, director, Climate Trends said the policy is a step in the right direction for science-based policy making.

"It thrusts on clean power and clean transport as two big fundamentals to transform Delhi's air and both must be done in right earnest. There is a push for natural gas for industries, which indeed is climate warming if not polluting," she said.

Given the global sentiment on the use of gas, which remains a volatile commodity and subject to inflationary prices, the thrust on gas as a transition fuel will have to be time bound. It rightly necessitates a conversation on other options which can be tried in place of gas, Khosla added.

(with inputs from PTI)