
Introduction:
We are all so focused on the Delhi AQI right now that we forget to see the bigger picture (literally).
Yes, the PM2.5 count in Delhi-NCR is 350ish which is considered hazardous and something has to be done about it. But what the news doesn’t cover is that cities like Chennai aren’t far behind (PM2.5 >= 250). Also, that most of the metro cities viz. Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ahmedabad etc are all in the Unhealthy zone.
As opposed to most of the EU/US cities having a healthy or mildly unhealthy AQI.
Source: https://data.gov.in/catalog/real-time-air-quality-index
Suggestions to improve AQI:
1. Carpooling
Odd-Even scheme is good but not the best. A better solution should be to somehow ‘force’ people to carpool to and from office/businesses.
A solution (at least for office going people) is to collect data of who comes from where and goes where and at what time (can be easily done by most tech-parks). And then suggest carpooling partners based on that data. Also, could introduce parking fees for people who don’t carpool to office.
This is practically possible as tech-parks are huge and the probability of finding no one from your route going to the same tech-park is very rare.
2. Rickshaws.
They are very helpful as a source of public transport, but the problem is the fuel they use. A lot of rickshaws have white fumes coming out. But the police usually ignore the same.
A public forum can be setup where people take pictures of such vehicles (not just rickshaws) which have visible fumes coming out of the silencer, with their number plates visible. And the police fine them and show proof of that fine publicly for each of such pictures.
3. Stubble burning.
Stubble burning accounts for about 46% of pollution in the Delhi-NCR region.
Resource for information: https://youtu.be/Y_Q8lzDBWI8
A solution could be to increase the fines for stubble burning (because farmers prefer paying the fines than doing anything else because it’s cheaper). But that would result in a severe backlash.
Another solution could be for someone (govt or another body) to pay and buy these stubble which can later be processed and reused for a lot of purposes.
Notes for the reader:
- More suggestions are welcome. I’ll add them to this post.
- If any of these ideas have a flaw/mistake/wrong data, feel free to comment on the same.
- Please feel free to reuse this post in any manner, given you provide a link back to this post. (Not that I can or will bother tracing such posts, but I’d be happier if this got more reads)