IIT Kanpur study lists 10 measures that Delhi-NCR requires to do to combat air pollution. What are the 10 measures?

Delhi-NCR is witnessing some of the most problematic times in terms of weather and earthquakes. The air of Delhi-NCR barely lets anyone breathe, and the ground beneath tremors every now and then. For instance, the "very poor" quality of air troubled the people of Delhi-NCR on November 7. In response, the Supreme Court instructed the governments of Haryana, Rajasthan, and Punjab to stop the farmers from burning field stubble.

The Delhi government has been asked by the Supreme Court to make sure that the municipal solid waste is not set to burn in Delhi. Moreover, the Delhi government has decided to bring back the odd-even scheme into implementation for cars from 13th November to 20th November in order to keep the emissions from the vehicles lower.

Measures like these can work in a wonderful manner in order to bring down the pollution levels in Delhi. In order to improve the quality of air in New Delhi, there are multiple measures that are required to be taken as per a report of 2016 titled the "Comprehensive Study on Air Pollution and Green House Gases (GHGs) in Delhi". This report was brought up by the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.

An execution of the measures might lower PM 2.5 levels to 72 μg/m3. It is expected to bring the PM 10 levels to 120 μg/m3. Take a look at the 10 measures that need to be executed in order to control the air pollution in the area.

The 10 measures:

• The use of LPG

In order to bring pollution down, it is important for every household to abstain from using crop residue, coal, cow dung, or wood for cooking purposes. Instead, households should be using Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG), and every household should be made accessible to it. This would lower the LPG levels of PM 2.5, and PM 10.

• Covering the construction materials at demolition and construction sites

Simple measures like covering the construction sites and demolition sites vertically can make a lot of difference. Covering raw materials and the use of windbreakers so that the raw materials do not fly away can make a huge difference, as it is expected to enhance the air quality by 50%, as per the report.

• Encouraging the use of BS-VI vehicles

On average, vehicles can contribute up to 25% to the PM 2.5 levels. Making use of DPF can reduce the emissions from diesel vehicles. The use of more hybrid, electric, BS-VI vehicles can also be helpful.

• Vapor recovery systems in petrol pumps

There exist volatile organic compounds in petrol that dissipate into the air at the time the petrol gets unloaded to the storage tanks. Such petrol vapors lead to the formation of smog. Vapor recovery systems help in collecting VOCs at the time of the unloading process.

• Handling fly ash

At the time of summer, fly ash contributes to pollution. Installation of windbreakers and water spraying are some of the techniques that can be useful.

• Limiting the use of coal in restaurants and hotels

Hotels and restaurants should abstain from using coal in restaurants and hotels. As per the report, there are around 9,000 restaurants and hotels in Delhi that make use of coal. This high use of coal leads to huge PM emissions. Therefore, the use of coals should be limited in hotels.

• Ceasing the burning of municipal solid waste

There exists MSW in everyday items that we use and dump. Burning of such wastes leads to polluting emissions.

• Making use of a telescopic chute and windbreaker at the time of concrete batching

Concrete batching is the process of mixing materials in order to make concrete. The process leads to fly ash emissions. In order to stop that, it is advised to make use of telescopic chutes and windbreakers.

• De-SOxing systems at the power plants

Huge refineries and power plants in Delhi lead to the emissions of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide. In order to limit these emissions, refineries are required to install De-NOx-ing systems and De-SOx-ing systems.

• Limiting the burning of biomass

The burning of the residue of crops is a leading contributor to pollution, and thus, this practice should be checked and limited.

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