Delhi won’t be able to blame Punjab for smog!

There is no doubt that India is certainly on the way to become the world’s largest economy and one of the superpowers, but the situation is not satisfactory in terms of environment and air pollution. The condition is that among the top 100 places which have been found to be most polluted on the earth, 63 Indian cities are included in the list. Not only this, some of our cities are leading the tally. For example, Delhi is the world’s most polluted capital for four consecutive years. Pollution in the national capital has increased 15 times as compared to previous year. The condition of North India is worse in terms of air pollution. Delhi’s air pollution ranks fourth in the world, while the most polluted city is Bhiwadi in Rajasthan. After this comes the city adjacent to the national capital is Ghaziabad of Uttar Pradesh. Ten of the 15 most polluted cities in the country are around Delhi, half of which are in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
A recent report of IQAir, a Swiss environmental firm, reveals that stubble burning in paddy fields in Haryana and Punjab is responsible for 45 percent of air pollution in Delhi. Now that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) governments are ruling in both Punjab and Delhi, it will be interesting to know that in the coming winter season whether the stubble smoke from Punjab will reach Delhi or not? As per the World Air Quality Report released by IQAir, no city in India has met the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality criteria. Smoke from motor vehicles, coal-fired power stations and industrial plants plays a major role in deteriorating our air quality. It is not just a matter of statistics, but this situation is directly affecting the health of the people in our country. Air pollution causes many heart and lung diseases, for which the country has to spend a huge amount for its treatment. For India, this amount is estimated to be more than $ 150 billion. IQAir uses data from ground sensors and government agencies to prepare the world air quality report.
It is also said that air traffic causes a lot of pollution. However, all the blame is put on the trucks. When all the VIPs travel by air, hardly any agency or country will think of banning airplanes. The condition of domestic air travel has been improving gradually. Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said in Parliament that in December, 3.8 lakh passengers traveled by air every day, whereas before Covid, 4 lakh people traveled by air on a daily basis. That is, the civil aviation industry of the country is rapidly returning to the previous level. Also, international flights are also going to start with 100% capacity from March 27. When the cases of Covid started in the country, then on 23 March 2020, international flights were suspended for a week, and later the ban remained in force for two years. However, in July 2020 a limited number of flights continued with the air bubble arrangement with 37 countries. Under the air bubble system, passengers going abroad were strictly prohibited from going anywhere other than the designated places from the hotels.