Swachh Bharat

K R Sudhaman
In tune with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clean India campaign, ‘Swachh Bharat’, the 2015-16 budget has stepped up allocation for this idea. But measures to improving air quality in Indian cities, perhaps among the worst in the world are absent in the budget.
Swatch Bharat campaign serves little purpose if measures to tackle poor air quality in cities do not become a major component of this clean India campaign.
Air pollution is a ‘silent killer’ and according to a WHO study 13 of the top 19 polluted cities are in India. The national capital region is the most air polluted city in the world and Beijing considered among one of the worst world capitals is only 13th in the list.
This WHO study is an eye-opener. The people in India seem to have oblivious of this fact and it is unfortunate that no provision has been made in the budget to improving the air quality around cities, which may take a heavy toll on quality of life, efficiency and productivity in the coming years.
There are simple and cheap solutions available but Government appears to be unmindful of this gigantic problem. Experts fear that the reason for India with vast 1.2 billion population, not able to produce quality fast bowlers and top class athletes is because Indians are born with 30 per cent less stamina due inferior lungs than people living elsewhere because of poor air quality.
This is not a genetic issue, nor is it a problem of nutrition but due to poor air quality in urban India. Sadly not much is being paid to tackle this major problem that goes unattended year after year. The diesel vehicles are one of major causes and part of the diesel cess should in fact be utilized to switch over to Euro VI standards that would check emission of harmful ozone from vehicles.
The efficiency of working population in urban India, particularly in Delhi is less by 15 per cent because of air pollution, studies show implying the output is that much less. Reduced lung power causes frequent headache, drastically reducing concentration power.
That apart poor air quality causes nausea, irritation to eyes and various health problems. Living in Delhi is as bad as smoking 40 cigarettes a day. As the problem is not visible to naked eye, no one seems to be bothered
There may not be acid rains in most parts of the country but studies suggest that first rains in India is becoming increasingly acidic, which is harmful to skin, crops, animals, buildings and so on. Acid rains are those, when rain water reacts with sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere to form sulphuric acid. Emission from diesel cars results in let out of sulphur dioxide in atmosphere. Euro VI standards can help in reducing this emission as well.
Industrialist Kamal Meattle, President of Parharper Business Centre, who purifies air with simple and easy to maintain plants including money plants at his six storied building in Nehru place had recently written letter to all the MLA aspirants during the Delhi assembly elections to highlight this problem.
But it fell on deaf ears and no politician seems to be bothered. A lung patient himself, Meattle has overcome his ailment by improving air quality in his residence and office through these simple solutions and wearing medicated mask while being outdoor.
Delhi cops at traffic junctions have one of the worst lungs, the studies show. One American company came to India a few months back to sell 10,000 medicated masks in India but to its surprise it has sole 9,000 masks in Delhi alone and very shortly it proposed to start manufacturing in the country to produce over six lakhs masks a year despite it being not very cheap. Air purifiers for indoors too is becoming popular particularly in Delhi.
Delhi has become unfit to live between Deepavali and Holi with high levels of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 in addition to presence of dust particles PM 10 and Ozone emission from diesel vehicles. Areas like Lodhi gardens, Chanakyapuri and green areas in Lutyen’s Delhi including Prime Minister’s residence is one of the worst as pollutants particular Ozone from diesel vehicles settle down in cooler places. So having walk in such areas do not serve any purpose.
The prescribed standard for PM 2.5 air quality index is 60 and PM10 is 100. But certain parts of Delhi has PM2.5 as high as 380 and the average is around 170, which is considered very high making it unliveable. In case of Kolkata the average is around 200. South Indian cities are comparatively better, particularly coastal towns due moisture in the atmosphere.
Chennai is lowest at around 60, while Mumbai, Bengaluru and Pune, the index is around 100 and Hyderabad, around 85. These figures are released by Central Pollution Control Board, which have stations in various parts to measure harmful pollutants including PM 2.5, PM 10, Ozone, Benzene, Sulphur dioxide and Carbon monoxide. Beijing, which has PM 2.5 level of around 60, has come out with a five year plan to bring it down to permissible levels. Indian authorities still believe index of 60 is moderate.
To find resources for Swachh Bharat campaign of Modi proposes to add one per cent extra in service tax in five-star bills and a few other services. It would be worthwhile for Government to consider some small cess to fund clean air campaign. It is not to late.
Even now Finance Minister Arun Jaitley can move necessary amendments during the passage of finance bill for cess to find the resources for this.
Wearing masks could be an option, Indoor plants are another. Planting more trees particularly pipal trees, which has the capacity to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen even during night, can help in reducing outdoor pollution.
Though conversion of diesel vehicle to CNG may help partly now there are studies to show it is not a total solution as CNG emission too contribute to air pollution but much less than diesel. Advanced nations have started issuing advisory to its embassy staff and tourists about dangers of air pollution in Delhi and other Indian cities, particularly after U S President Barrack Obama’s recent visit.
There were reports to suggest that his short stay in Delhi has reduced his life by six hours due to pollution. The indoor air pollution is 10 times more than outdoor pollution in India. Swachh Bharat is more bothered about improving water quality and providing more toilets but least bothered to tackle this silent killer.
One drinks only 2-3 litres of water a day yet people are very conscious of its quality but we take 23,000 breaths in a day and inhale 12,000 litres of air a day and yet not bothered as it is not visible. It is high time due attention is paid to this issue and necessary awareness is created nation-wide before it is too late.

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