Delhi pollution: Vehicle emission is the biggest local contributor: Report

Vehicles plying on the streets of the national capital is to be blamed the most for rising pollution levels in Delhi. A new study has revealed that vehicle emission is the biggest contributor of pollutants that affects Delhi's air quality index (AQI) during the winter months. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has backed its study with data that shows vehicles share more than half of pollutants spread through local sources. Delhi is currently under grip of very poor air quality as pollution levels remain high since Diwali festival on October 31.

The new study shared by CSE says that local sources contribute around 30 per cent of Delhi's pollution out of which vehicle emission has the largest share compared to road dust, pollution from construction activities or fire crackers burnt during Diwali festivities. Delhi sees around 11 lakh vehicles, private or commercial, plying on its roads on a daily basis.

Delhi pollution: Your vehicles are to be blamed?

The CSE based its study after analysing data from different bodies like the IITM, TERI-ARAI, CPCB’s real-time air quality data and traffic data from Google Maps. "While farm fires and firecrackers do aggravate pollution during the winter due to adverse weather conditions, they are not the sole contributors. The top contributor is vehicular emissions and we need year-round efforts to address this problem. Implementing GRAP alone, as an emergency measure, will not be enough," said Sunita Narain, Director at CSE.

Delhi pollution: Impact of traffic jams

Traffic congestion also causes to worsen the air quality in the national capital. The CSE data has revealed that during peak traffic hours between 5PM and 9PM, the average traffic speed drops to 15 kmph. Around the same time, the NO2 levels are 2.3 times higher than what it is during lean traffic hours between 12 noon and 4PM when average traffic speed is at 21 kmph. The report also said that high demand for vehicle parking also strains resources. It has occupied over 10 per cent of the land in the city with space needed for new cars registered annually equal to 615 football fields.

Delhi pollution: How big are stubble burning, fire crackers as contributors?

The study has also said that pollution spread through local sources is not the biggest contributor to worsening air quality in Delhi. It says that Delhi suffers more from pollution spread from neighbouring areas which contribute nearly 35 per cent of pollutant material. Delhi is located next to some of the most polluted cities in the world including cities like Ghaziabad and Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh where several industrial units are also located. Pollution from neighbouring areas contributes five per cent more than local sources within Delhi.

Among other factors that cause rising pollution in Delhi are stubble burning which,, surprisingly, contributes a mere 8.19 per cent to the city's worsening air quality.

To reduce pollution, the CSE has suggested several measures including improving Delhi's local public transport system. Delhi's metro rail network and Delhi Transport Corporation-run buses are the two major sources of public transportation availed by commuters at present. Despite. robust network of these two systems, the CSE thinks Delhi is still inadequately short of a public transport system that can help reduce pollution. Delhi currently has 7,683 buses which also include around 1,970 electric buses.

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