The controversial Odd-Even plan for plying private and commercial vehicles on the streets of Delhi will be back as the capital’s pollution crisis breaches emergency levels, causing an uproar in the national media and public sphere. While Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal declared “health emergency” after being prodded by the Delhi high court, and holding meetings with the Lieutenant-Governor, will the return of the Odd-Even policy, that too for just five days from November 13-17, help lift the smog?
With the toxic air housing particulate matter (PM) many times the recommended levels, Delhi government had banned the entry of trucks and construction activity for a few days in order to beat the smog. However, that hasn’t lowered the PM, dust and toxins in the air, since crop-burning in neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana etc have not been tackled.
Delhi CM Kejriwal and Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh engaged in a Twitter tete-e-tete over the crop-burning issue, each blaming the other and the Centre and deflecting criticism from themselves.
Situation is serious but Punjab helpless as problem is widespread & state has no money to compensate farmers for stubble management (1/2).
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) November 8, 2017
It is not a matter for inter-state discussion, that won’t help. It requires central govt intervention, at the earliest (2/2).
— Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) November 8, 2017
I agree sir that Centre shud take lead. But pl grant me time to discuss if together we can present a plan to centre. Del is choking sir https://t.co/qMQJX6Y4It
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 8, 2017
There is justified outrage over the bureaucratic deadlock on the pollution emergency, and media is up in arms, since Delhi, the seat of national media in the country, is so impacted.
CM @capt_amarinder must give time to @ArvindKejriwal Politics must be kept aside. All parties & citizens must unite to fight against pollution. #MyRightToBreathe https://t.co/6NeZ90cHit
— Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) November 8, 2017
Why not at least speak to @ArvindKejriwal ? You don’t even want to discuss? Sad to see this discourse as we all choke https://t.co/YFOkG8c6Wn
— Nidhi Razdan (@Nidhi) November 8, 2017
It is in this heated context of health crisis, choking city and narrative wars, that Delhi CM Kejriwal has resorted to his Odd-Even formula, in order to help curb the pollution menace. But how effective is it going to be?
Emergency meeting called by Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot at Secretariat on #OddEven with top officials of concerned Dept to curb air pollution in the capital, announcement likely at 4 pm today in a press conference. @IndiaToday @aajtak
— ASHUTOSH MISHRA (@ashu3page) November 9, 2017
Delhi govt sources say #OddEven implementation likely from 13th to 17th November and no long term pain to people, again can b implemented as & when required. @aajtak @IndiaToday https://t.co/SXewihdA3t
— ASHUTOSH MISHRA (@ashu3page) November 9, 2017
What about data?
While various arms of Delhi government is holding emergency meetings, the return of Odd-Even for a five-day period next week, might be more about political optics than hardcore data on vehicular pollution. That’s because apart from trucks which are a major cause of smog, the private vehicles such as two- and four-wheelers running on diesel and petrol have a very small share in the total pollution pie chart.
Photo: Reuters
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board, cars running on petrol and diesel have a share of 1.6 per cent and 1.4 per cent of the total vehicular emission contribution to PM, around 66.6 kg per day (approximate reading). However, trucks (already banned from entering Delhi) constitute 48 per cent, buses running on diesel contribute 6 per cent, while LCVs (light commercial vehicles) contribute 27.9 per cent.
Why didn't the Odd-Even plan work in Delhi? Because cars (4W-Diesel and 4W-Petrol) have a very small share in PM pollution. pic.twitter.com/WMSBU30sL5
— Siddharth Singh (@siddharth3) October 28, 2016
The overall picture clears the air, as it were, on the actual vehicular pollution, and its share in the larger graph of major polluters, including industrial emissions, road dust, wood burning, among others.
Vehicular pollution in turn has a small share in overall PM (i.e. particulate) pollution (see top left pie). pic.twitter.com/ZTwoD1HW2p
— Siddharth Singh (@siddharth3) October 28, 2016
The "area" sources above in turn are mostly the burning of wood. pic.twitter.com/alEoL1ZwCu
— Siddharth Singh (@siddharth3) October 28, 2016
Crop burning is a major issue in the post-monsoon season. This is outside Delhi's scope as it mainly happens in other states. pic.twitter.com/QYNsMFVA2c
— Siddharth Singh (@siddharth3) October 28, 2016
This means that the Odd-Even exercise would be tackling only 3 per cent of the total vehicular pollution, which is itself a small fraction of the overall pollution contributors. Why would then an exercise impacting the whole of Delhi, and its millions of citizens, be undertaken, as a short-term measure to curb a systemic problem?
In addition to the actual contribution of private cars to Delhi’s pollution, even the government buses running on CNG are not running up to their promised strength. In fact, DTC buses count have come down instead of an increase, forcing many to take other options, or use private vehicles. The rise on Delhi metro fares have also affected the daily commuters from the lower middle classes.
Promised vs delivered: Surprisingly DTC buses count in Delhi have come down instead of an increase. This shows the apathy govt have towards better public transport. #OddEven #AirPollution pic.twitter.com/1See9NA6wp
— Tarique Anwer (@tanwer_m) November 9, 2017
Though the first Odd-Even by Delhi government in January 2016 did have a marginal effect (10-13 per cent of vehicular pollution), according to a University of Chicago study, it was neither a massive failure, not a complete success, as the conflicting narratives went. But let’s not forget the experiment was carried out over a period of 15 days with a rather compliant Delhi, and the pollution level was lower in 2016.
Short-term measures for how long?
Though India cannot wish away its pollution crisis, jugaad has replaced systemic clean-up, and Centre seems least interested to help Delhi out in its moment of environmental vulnerability.
So far we have seen zero sense of emergency from Central Govt when it comes to capital’s killer pollution. Emergency meetings should be called & action taken on a war footing. Environment Minister @drharshvardhan should cancel his visit to Germany and come back to India soonest
— Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) November 8, 2017
The health hazard and Delhi’s tag as the pollution capital of the world make for terrible press, but this is precisely the time to suspend petty politics and come together as citizens of India. Let’s also not forget that CM Kejriwal is helpless if coordination isn’t made available form neighbouring states ruled by Congress and BJP governments, and the burning of agricultural wastes to keep away pests and lower use of harmful pesticides needs an environmentally and economically sustainable solution.
Delhi pollution crisis impacts everyone, but it affects the poor the most – exposed to the toxins more and all the time, while the rich install air-purifiers in walled, air-conditioned environments actually exacerbating the matter. The pollution inequality isn’t addressed to a great extent by Odd-Even, but the measure might help in bringing an element of parity, in which the have-nots see the wealthier sections pooling cars or taking the public transport to commute. There’s no doubt a feel-good factor in that, but that’s designer austerity that might “unclog the city” somewhat, but only for five days.
Being the “gas chamber” is Delhi’s sordid reality, and it’s a shameful exposition of collective political and policy failure.