WORKSHOP ON ISSUES AND CHALLENGES OF AIR POLLUTION IN DELHI

MAY 06, 2016

IMPROVING AIR QUALITY IN DELHI:

MOVING BEYOND STATUS QUO

Dr. Prashant Gargava

Additional Director
Central Pollution Control Board

(Email: prashant_gargava@hotmail.com)
(Web: http://www.cpcb.nic.in)
PM: A MAJOR HEALTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUE

Ref: GBD, Lancet 2012

1. AIR POLLUTION IS NOT JUST A LOCAL ISSUE

Case Study of Berlin

ACTIONS IN NCR ARE IMPORTANT FOR DELHI CLEAN

2. LET ACTIONS BE GUIDED BY SCIENCE AND NOT PERCEPTION

PM2.5 – Winter, IITK, 2015 PM2.5 – Summer, IITK, 2015

PM10 – Residential, CPCB, 2011 PM10 – Kerbside, CPCB, 2011

 Sources: SW/Biomass burning, Vehicles, Road dust, Construction
 Receptor modelling is complex – Sec. particulates, Coal & Fly Ash
3. ACTION DILEMMA – TECHNOLOGY V/S MANAGEMENT
BASED OPTIONS?

TECHNOLOGY INTERVENTIONS

o Progressive emission and fuel quality norms for vehicles

o Improving public transport system
 World’s largest CNG fueled public transport – 0.55 million
Metro – 2.5 million passengers; 2500 trips covering 69,000 km
Augmentation of city bus service
o Advanced control systems for power plants and industries or
fuel shift

RESOURCE INTENSIVE
LONG LASTING IMPACTS, NO IMMEDIATE RELIEF
MANAGEMENT INTERVENTIONS
o Phasing out of old commercial vehicles
o PUC Scheme
o Restriction on goods vehicles during day time
o Installation of time clocks at important crossings
o Congestion charges

IMPLEMENTATION DIFFICULTIES
EFFECTIVE IN SHORT PERIOD

 BETTER TECHNOLOGY – SOONER THE BETTER

 STRICTER IMPLEMENTATION – SET EXAMPLES (strict visible
actions with wide publicity, use of social media)
4. EXPERIMENT WITH IDEAS AND LEARN FROM
EXPERIENCE (Odd-Even Scheme)

 DPCC/IITK Source Apportionment Study, 2015

 Odd Even Plan
o Exempted vehicles – CNG operated; Public transport; Two-
wheelers; Emergency, VIP, Woman driven cars; Trucks
o Applicable – Diesel and gasoline passenger cars, Light
commercial vehicles
 Business as usual for surrounding NCR towns, and other
activities in Delhi
 Uniform scale of change in the traffic activities
 Other influencing parameters (e.g. meteorology) remain
constant

 Emission inventory reconstructed for PM10, PM2.5 and NO2:

three scenarios (most optimistic 30% reduction)
 Potential air quality impacts considered
o Direct impacts – reduction in vehicle exhaust emissions
o Indirect impacts – idling emissions due to de-congestion, road
dust re-suspension due to lesser traffic, secondary particulate
formation due to reduced NO2 emissions

 Proportional scale model for quick analysis of air quality

changes

 Expected emission reduction: < 1%

 PM2.5 improvement: ~4 µg/m3

PM2.5 – NO SIGNIFICANT DIRCET IMPACTS (emission in kg/day)

BAU SCENARIO 2

SCENARIO 1 SCENARIO 3
LESSONS..

Single action may not be effective

A little analysis always helps

Unpopular steps can be taken and implemented

Public Awareness, Concern

Don’t jump to quick conclusions to avoid or defer

LET THERE BE MULTIPLE SIMULTANEOUS ACTIONS

AND NOT JUST ODD-EVEN
FOR A WEEK OR SO
STRENGTHENING DTC BUS OPERATIONS

Source: Operational Statistics of DTC, June 2012

o More buses are being added…..
o Broad actions may not necessarily and always yield results…
Garbage burning continues…..

E-Rikshaws, a good and a bad step? Not unusual….

CARBON AND TOXIC METAL FRACTION IN PM10 EMISSIONS IN
DELHI, 2007: CONTRIBUTION OF DIFFERENT SOURCES

Reference: Prashant Gargava; Judith C. Chow; John G. Watson; Douglas H. Lowenthal (2013). Speciated PM 10
Emission Inventory for Delhi, India. Journal of Aerosol and Air Quality Research. 10.4209/aaqr.2013.02.0047
 Air Quality Index for Delhi
Month-wise AQI Index Values
MONTHS May-15 Jun-15 Jul-15 Aug-15 Sep-15 Oct-15 Nov-15 Dec-15 Jan-16 Feb-16 Mar-16
AQI Index AQI Index AQI Index AQI Index AQI Index AQI Index AQI Index AQI Index AQI Index AQI Index AQI Index
Dates
Values Values Values Values Values Values Values Values Values Values Values

1 221 200 153 130 99 251 405 356 391 270 352
2 238 253 219 122 250 282 377 332 384 268 334
3 259 152 179 128 246 194 373 331 381 284 315
4 289 195 176 153 296 201 421 321 429 274 280
5 311 No Data 303 134 152 211 323 364 434 337 155
6 305 95 225 149 175 276 272 271 356 362 209
7 254 188 145 148 171 267 435 156 402 337 236
8 229 310 160 155 189 337 389 383 399 301 189
9 234 No Data 153 167 222 254 323 382 337 313 No Data
10 290 151 112 142 200 81 353 350 312 362 222
11 262 148 56 246 222 221 343 352 348 313 No Data
12 228 No Data 67 101 217 224 360 323 339 361 108
13 183 208 63 179 218 236 388 281 332 306 No Data
14 No Data 123 82 175 302 207 377 206 345 230 No Data
15 208 251 195 130 274 272 356 208 292 245 220
16 288 280 247 96 248 310 337 254 285 269 228
17 261 281 180 105 293 168 263 300 305 265 225
18 269 286 187 147 166 304 322 293 344 285 197
19 227 262 151 62 133 323 371 257 346 372 250
20 212 159 155 144 110 331 411 330 397 322 264
21 147 88 132 174 144 318 402 281 356 186 189
22 192 146 124 128 97 No Data 410 316 334 230 206
23 188 171 178 106 98 292 420 374 398 217 212
24 193 234 99 99 85 376 348 178 430 305 308
25 214 96 104 143 189 310 314 166 380 285 300
26 305 167 82 190 193 211 331 140 417 277 179
27 323 172 53 173 227 270 317 327 379 317 179
28 335 182 70 No Data 206 267 342 271 384 306 251
29 314 No Data 73 212 237 254 303 269 399 301 285
30 217 No Data 60 185 175 No Data 408 330 417 260
31 74 99 190 394 386 407 269

MAX 335 310 303 246 302 394 435 386 434 372 352
MIN 147 88 53 62 85 81 263 140 285 186 108
AVG 248 192 138 147 194 264 360 293 370 293 238
 5. POLICIES TO TRTANSLATE INTO MICRO LEVEL PLANS
AND ACTIONS
 Traffic planning and management
o Metro – last mile connectivity
o Route plan for buses
o Regulate operation of different types of public transport

 Identify unpaved/bad roads with high traffic density

 Identify problematic zones and work out solutions
6. MISCELLANEOUS
 Make and implement plans for critical months and days
 Prioritize sources and actions based on health benefits
 Incentivize rather than imposing restrictions
 Aggressive public awareness, training for behavioural change,
people’s involvement
CONCLUSION

AIR POLLUTION KILLS…..NEED TO ACT, HOW AND FAST?

Ref: GBD, Lancet 2012

Thank You