Delhi: Preparations to ban coal use amid concerns around the rising air pollution

New Delhi— Vehicle and industry emissions are the main cause of pollution of the atmosphere today. In cities, air pollution is increasing day by day due to the smoke (emissions) released from buses, trucks, rikshaws, scooters as well as large plants and factories. The air quality is also deteriorating. Concerns about the poor quality air in the country's capital Delhi are becoming even greater. In order to improve the air quality of Delhi NCR [National Capital Region], the Commission for Air Quality Management has made preparations to ban the use of coal in certain areas of Delhi and Delhi NCR from 1 October this year and also in 2023.

Dr. N.P. Shukla, Technical Member of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) told The Mooknayak, "A directive has been issued regarding the use of coal. The CAQM has imposed a complete ban on the use of coal in the entire Delhi-NCR region from January 1, 2023. Following the implementation of the CAQM directive, people will not be able to use coal for industrial or household purposes." He also said that thermal power stations are exempted from the ban. In the areas where there is existing infrastructure and already available supplies of PNG, this restriction will come into effect from October 1, 2022, itself.

Why a ban has been imposed on coal

The Mooknayak conducted an investigation into the decision to ban coal. Which revealed that coal has been the dominant fuel used in the industries in NCR. The NCR's industrial units consume about 17 lakh tonnes of coal annually. About 14 lakh tonnes of this coal is being used in six of the major industrial districts alone. Hence CAQM has taken this decision to eliminate the use of coal as a fuel and to control air pollution in NCR.

Pollution to be controlled three days in advance

CAQM member Dr. Shukla told The Mooknayak that the air quality in Delhi and NCR worsens in winter. The commission will work in collaboration with the scientists of the Meteorological Centre to impose the strict measures required to improve the air quality.

According to Dr. Shukla, from now on, efforts will be made to prevent the air quality from worsening three days in advance of the weather forecast. So that the air quality can be prevented from getting worse in the first place.

Delhi-NCR air quality worsens in winter

As soon as the cold weather arrives, the country's capital starts to choke even more rapidly. That is, the air quality worsens during winters. According to one media report, the industrial sector contributes 30% or less to the rise in winter pollution PM2.5 levels in Delhi. Fourteen percent of this contribution to pollution is caused by industries using coal, biomass, pet coke and furnace oil, whereas brick kilns cause 8% of the pollution, power stations cause 6% and stone-crusher factories cause 2% of it. These data are taken from a 2018 study by The Energy and Resources Institute. Where as the Delhi government has said that all 1,607 industrial units in Delhi have now started running on PNG.

यहाँ हिन्दी में भी पढ़ें– दिल्ली: वायु प्रदूषण की बढ़ती चिंताओं के बीच दिल्ली में कोयले के उपयोग पर प्रतिबंध लगाने की तैयारी

[Story Translated By Lotika Singha]