Mobility crisis behind Delhi pollution

New Delhi: Despite taking several technology measures to curb pollution from vehicles, vehicular pollution has emerged as the top polluter in the capital city of Delhi. Explosive motorization, choking congestion and inadequate public transport services are undercutting the emission gains from technology measures in the transport sector of the city.

This has emerged from the new analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) that has shown how even after implementing the largest ever CNG programme for the public transport and local commercial transport, phasing out of 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles, restrictions on entry of non-destined trucks, introduction of Bharat Stage 6 emissions standards, and onset of the fleet electrification, vehicles are still the key polluter due to the growing mobility crisis.

Despite the initial decline PM2.5 levels have shown upward trend last year – requires massive cuts to meet the clean air benchmark: Even though the long term PM2.5 levels have shown a downward trend, since 2022 the annual levels have remained and even shown an upward trend. The annual PM2.5 levels show an improvement of 7 per cent in 2023 when compared to the 2019 levels. Delhi requires another 60 per cent reduction to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM2.5. Similar trend is reflected in the winter pollution, even though the winter peaks have declined the average level for the winter months have stayed elevated and also seen an increase.

In the last five years, the winter average of PM2.5 concentration was the highest in 2023-24 at 189 µg/m3. High influence of local pollution sources this winter –Days with low contribution of farm fire Delhi’s air quality has turned poor and very poor this October: Initially this year, between October 10-20, the average farm fire contribution to Delhi’s PM2.5 levels was only 0.7 per cent, indicating minimal impact from stubble burning to PM2.5 concentration.

The rising impact of farm fire was evident as the contribution from stubble burning has sharply increased since October 22. On October 23, the contribution of stubble burning was 16 per cent, with PM2.5 levels reaching 213 µg/m³, which falls in the ‘very poor’ category. Despite this, PM2.5 concentrations remained high; on October 31, the concentration was 206 µg/m³, only 3 per cent lower than the October 23 peak, even though the stubble burning contribution on October 31 has doubled compared to October 23.

The data clearly indicates that local sources are the primary contributors to the elevated PM2.5 levels in Delhi, as concentrations remained high even when the impact of stubble burning was minimal. The air quality has remained poor with no days recorded in the “good” category.

Vehicles have emerged as the top polluter in the city. They are emerging as one of the fastest growing source of pollution in the city. As per the Economic Survey of 2023-24, Delhi has a total stock of 79 lakh vehicles as per the Economic Survey of 2023-24 and has added 6.5 lakh vehicles during 2023-24, - as per the VAHAN database. As much as 90.5 per cent of these are two-wheelers and cars. On a daily basis as much as 1100 two-wheelers and 500 private cars are registered on an average daily (FY2023-24) in Delhi.

The motorisation rate has recovered quickly after the pandemic slow down and the average annual growth rate is 15.6 per cent. Two-wheelers and cars are growing at the same pace at 15 per cent each year.

High congestion builds up worsens local air quality. Vehicles caught in congestion and idling can spew emissions several times higher than their normal emissions on roads.

Urban sprawl, and growing travel distances in Delhi: The city’s expansion into peripheral areas has also led to an increase in both the per capita trip rate and average trip lengths.

Public transport is losing out as the share of private vehicles is increasing. There is a growing reliance on private vehicles for commuting, even as public transport use has declined

There are not enough buses to meet the growing travel demand. Delhi has around 45 buses per lakh population (considering 2011 census data). Low frequency and long wait times act as a major deterrent to the use of public transport.

Lack of multi-modal integration for easy and affordable transfer to different public transport modes also inhibits expansion of public transport usage.

While emergency action under the Graded Response Action Plan demands increasing parking fees to disincentivise personal vehicles, without city-wide variable parking pricing systems in place this measure remains ineffectual.

This immediately requires a game changing strategy to upscale the infrastructure for buses, metro and their integration, incentive for usage of these systems and disincentives for usage of personal vehicles as is the global good practice.(CSE)