Delhi’s winter action plan will focus on 14 areas, including dust pollution, vehicular pollution, stubble burning, among other areas.
Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai, on Thursday, conducted a review meeting with experts to come up with a winter action plan on air pollution, and curb the levels of high pollution levels during the upcoming colder months. As part of the plan, experts have made several suggestions including artificial rain, work-from-home policy for government and private offices, among others.
As per the minister, the suggestions will be part of this year’s winter action plan on air pollution, which will be completed by September 5. He also asserted that this year’s winter action plan will focus on 14 major areas, including dust pollution, vehicular pollution, stubble burning, industrial pollution, among other areas.
“The main suggestions included a change in the behaviour of people related to pollution. For this, awareness campaigns should be run. We are looking at policies to encourage work from home in advance, even in the private sector. Instead of odd-even, we should apply the formula of voluntary restriction on vehicles and have different timings for different offices,” he was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
The Delhi government also plans to have a meeting with the Union environment minister so that IIT-Kanpur and relevant departments can come up with biomass-burning solutions.
However, do you know that the chronic air pollution in Delhi may reduce the average life expectancy of its residents by 12 years. As per Air Quality Life Index 2024 report, Delhi is one of the most polluted regions in the northern plains, and due to that, Delhites are now losing almost a decade of their lives.
According to the report, published by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), around 1.8 crore people living in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, on an average, will lose 11.9 years of life expectancy compared to the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) standards. The report has also named Delhi, India’s capital, as the most polluted city in the world.
Only if India manages to meet India’s own PM2.5 standards, the life expectancy of Delhiites would increase by 8.5 years. If the city gets closer to WHO standards level, the life expectancy of Delhi’s residents will be up by nearly 12 years.
For those caught unaware, PM2.5 is a fine particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the respiratory system. It not only leads to major respiratory problems, but also contributes to pollution levels.
