CAQM Affidavit To SC: Aging Vehicles Adding To Winter Air Pollution

Air Quality Management

Ahead of the smog season with Diwali and winters approaching, Delhi’s pollution levels are expected to soar, in this backdrop, the Commission for Air Quality Management has informed the Supreme Court that the states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi have taken ‘far from satisfactory’ action in phasing out overage and end-of-life vehicles.

In an affidavit filed at the Supreme Court, the commission informed that incidence of stubble burning have reduced significantly in past 3 years.

The compliance report points out certain key contributing factors for air pollution in order of severity.

Below is the list of the contributing factors:
Vehicles and transportation,
Agricultural stubble burning,
Dust from roads and open areas,
Dust from construction and demolition activities,
Municipal solid waste and bio-mass burning, industrial Operations.

Above are the sectors that lead to generally poor air quality in Delhi-NCR. Abatement of vehicular pollution thus has been one of the main focus areas of the Commission in its deliberations with the NCR State Governments and GNCTD.

The affidavit points out vehicular pollution as one of the most significant contributing.
The commission suggests: Regular certification of vehicles towards compliance of emission standards is a must and in this context the Commission has directed the NCR State Governments.

The affidavit reads: ‘While the severity of the above noted sectors is generally uniform round the year, some sectors assume dominance during particular periods/seasons of the year owing to the level of activities and climatic / meteorological conditions.’

The affidavit further reads: ‘During the winter months when the conditions are already unfavorable for dispersion of pollutants, agricultural stubble burning becomes the PRIME CONCERN during the period from late October to November.’