The Way Forward to Combat Pollution

Written by Team NDTV on July 7, 2015 | Features

Air pollution has become the biggest killer in the world claiming at least one in eight lives, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Last year, Delhi was ranked as the most polluted city in the world by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Our national capital beat Beijing, the Chinese capital, to achieve this dubious status.

The database published by the WHO suggested that Beijing was better than Delhi on levels of the more deadly particles – those smaller than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) – which can cause more damage to the lungs.

Here are 5 things that need to be dealt with on priority to fight hazardous pollution:

1. Substitutes to burning solid fuels

An estimated 142 million (14.2 crore) rural households in India, which accounts to 85% of total rural households, use firewood and solid fuels like animal dung, charcoal, as their primary source for cooking and heating.

Use of solid fuel not only damages the environment but has an adverse impact on health and society. Burning solid fuels releases contributors to climate change like carbon dioxide (CO2) and other short-lived climate pollutants.

Respiratory tract cancers and lung cancers are strongly associated with pollution from coal burning. There is also growing evidence of other effects on health such as tuberculosis, cataracts, low birth-weight and heart disease.

2. Reduce vehicular density

Hop on to public modes of transport or car pool; the emission from vehicles is severely hampering the environment and is a major contributor to air pollution.

The quality of fuels also needs to be improved if pollution has to be taken head on. Vehicles should get pollution control tests regularly to ensure that pollution is in check.

3. Regulate construction dust
Construction dust is a major cause of health problems for both workers and neighbours at the site of construction. There are many ways by which the dust can be reduced such as covering stockpiles, using dust-catchers on equipments and so on. Even water can be used to supress dust. Additionally, dust screens can also be placed around the site’s edges.

4. Reduce burning of agricultural waste
To get rid of the waste produced by agricultural activities, the practice that continues in India is to burn it. Waste such as grass, leaves, stalks, etc. is burnt in the open air and this is not an environmentally acceptable way of getting rid of the waste. This type of burning contributes to climate change, since among the compounds released are greenhouse gases and short-lived climate-forcing pollutants like black carbon. Additionally, these incomplete combustion processes produce dioxins, which are highly toxic, carcinogenic pollutants.

5. More efficient coal plants
Pollution from coal-fuelled power plants is exceptionally high. It releases health-damaging particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, mercury, nitric and nitrogen oxides. There have to be new norms for thermal power plants that help in controlling the level of pollution it causes.

Pollutants emitted from coal combustion cause respiratory problems such as asthma, lung cancer; cardiovascular problems such as artery blockages and heart attacks. It also affects the nervous system, causes loss in intellectual capacity.

(With inputs from Dr K Srinath Reddy of Public Health Foundation of India)

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