Aloke Bajpai, Chairman, Managing Director and CEO of the Ixigo Group, on Sunday criticized the inadequate management to tackle air pollution in the national capital and shared the estimate of GPT-5 to prevent stubble burning.
Air quality in Delhi worsened as light winds picked up pollutants, raising the overall AQI to 366 in the “very poor” category with three monitoring stations recording readings above 400 in the “severe” category, Central Pollution Control Board data showed.
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In a post on X, Bajpai commented, “It’s the same story every year. My throat hurts and my head is numb. The common man suffers from asthma and bronchitis, while those of us who have a cleaner in every room make noise on social media.”
He further stated, “This cannot be the price we pay together on our way to Viksit Bharat. How much capital will it take for every farmer in Punjab and Haryana to get a Happy planter that will help him plant wheat in rice straw without burning the stubble? The GPT-5 estimate is 1000 million. In these two states we can live with fire or with fire. It may lead to an exodus of talent and companies from this region.”
Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is often blamed for the increase in air pollution in Delhi-NCR.
Since the window for the Rabi crop, wheat, is very short after paddy harvesting in October-November, some farmers have set fire to their fields to quickly dispose of crop residues.
What about cloud seeding?
New Delhi’s attempt to tackle air pollution using cloud seeding appears to have yielded limited results, as scientists and activists express doubts about the method’s effectiveness.
Cloud seeding, which involves scattering particles such as silver iodide or salt into clouds from aircraft to induce precipitation that can help wash away pollutants, was carried out by Delhi authorities in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur.
The trials began last week using a Cessna aircraft over selected areas of the capital.
The day after the latest attempt, levels of cancer-causing PM2.5 reached 323, more than 20 times the daily limits set by the World Health Organization. It’s likely to get worse as the season progresses.
At such levels, these pollutants can cause breathing problems, especially in people with lung or heart disease, children and the elderly.
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What do environmentalists think about “cloud seeding”?
Officials said initial efforts resulted in minimal precipitation due to a lack of cloud cover, reducing the potential impact of the experiment, as reported by AFP.
“This will never work, it’s an illusion,” said Bhavreen Kandhari, an environmental activist in Delhi, according to AFP.
“Only if we clean up the sources of air pollution can we control it.”
The day after the latest attempt, levels of cancer-causing PM2.5 reached 323, more than 20 times the daily limits set by the World Health Organization. It’s likely to get worse as the season progresses.
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However, two atmospheric scientists from IIT Delhi termed the cloud seeding plan as “another trick”.
“It is a textbook case of misapplied science and disregard for ethics,” Shahzad Gani and Krishna Achutarao reported in The Hindu.
Mohan George of the Delhi-based Center for Science and Environment said artificial rain is not the answer. “Pollution levels will return almost immediately as soon as the rain stops,” the scientist told AFP.
A study published in The Lancet Planetary Health last year estimated that 3.8 million deaths in India between 2009 and 2019 were linked to air pollution.
Cloud seeding, a technique developed in the 1940s, has been used in several countries to induce precipitation, disperse fog, and alleviate drought conditions, although its success has been inconsistent.
For example, before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China used cloud seeding in an attempt to control weather conditions and ensure clear skies during the event.
What is the status of NCR?
Neighboring cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) also reported “very poor” air quality – Ghaziabad (351), Gurugram (357), Noida (348) and Greater Noida (340). However, Faridabad recorded a “poor” AQI of 215.
According to the Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS) for Delhi, the wind speed from the northwest during the evening and night hours dropped below 8 kmph, reducing the dispersion of pollutants.
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He added that a ventilation index of less than 6,000 m²/s and a wind speed of less than 10 km/h are unfavorable for the dispersion of pollutants.
Air quality is likely to remain in the “very poor” category until November 4, AQEWS said.
Three monitoring stations in the city recorded “severe” air quality with readings above 400, with Wazirpur reporting the highest level of 413.
Another 28 stations recorded “very poor” air quality with readings above 300, according to CPCB’s Sameer app.
This cannot be the price we pay together on our way to Viksit Bharat.
The ban on entry of unregistered commercial trucks here, which do not meet BS-III emission norms or below, came into effect in the national capital on November 1.
(With input from agencies)
Key things
- Delhi’s stringent air quality standards are exacerbated by stubble burning in neighboring states.
- Cloud seeding has been criticized as an ineffective solution to air pollution.
- Investing in sustainable agricultural practices is critical to addressing the root causes of pollution.
