Issue-1. Air Quality Standards
Question: What are the issues concerning Air Quality
Standards? And why Indian Air Quality standards are not considered safe?
1.
Air quality is not being monitored in real time
Central Pollution Control Board gets real-time air quality data from only
two or three monitoring stations in most cities. This gives a skewed picture of
air quality status and compromises policy-making. Most cities depend on manual
monitoring stations, which use obsolete technology, and data is released just
twice a week.
2.
The sources of air pollution are not very well known
A study by IIT Kanpur for Delhi revealed that the contribution of each
source of pollution-vehicles, waste burning, construction dust-changes with the
seasons, but most cities don't have this information. Bengaluru's emissions
inventory was conducted in 2010 and Chennai's by IIT Madras in 2011, while
Kanpur, Mumbai and Pune released their reports in 2010. 2008 was when data on
pollution sources was last collected in cities
3.
Governments fail to enforce
But no city administration seems worried about getting off that list.
Delhi, for instance, is still short of 5,000 buses; it hasn't implemented SC
directions on prohibiting waste burning or ensuring construction projects don't
pollute. Data for most cities makes it obvious that air pollution is not high
on any government's priority list. 94 cities don't meet national air quality standards.
4.
health risks are Ignored
While air pollution is hurting the country's exchequer, it's also
associated with certain cancers, lower birth weight of babies, premature birth,
strokes a respiratory disease. Across the country, air pollution is linked to
6.7 lakh premature deaths
5.
People’s participation
not forthright
The Deonar landfill fire drew attention to Mumbai's waste problem, while
Delhi's three landfills are constantly on fire exposing lakhs to carcinogenic
emissions. This is a common problem in all cities. If people segregated garbage
at home, there would be no burning of waste. People can also choose public
transport, or pick electric and CNG vehicles
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