‘SMOG’ is very resonating word now-a-days in the world and in the capital city of India in particular. It is kind of severe air pollution that reduces visibility. As per sources “smog” was first used in early 1900s to describe a mix of “Smoke and Fog”. The smoke usually comes from burning coal etcetera, and it was common in industrial areas. Today, it remains a familiar sight in various polluted cities.
As per a fact, during the ‘Great Smog of 1952’, coal pollution blanketed the whole city of London, England. As a result, more than 4,000 people died from respiratory ailments. The smog was so thick that the city had to shut down roads, railways, and the airport. Robbers used the cover of smog to break into houses and shops.
Under almost similar conditions, the Capital City of India-Delhi is presently grappling with severe air pollution, dense fog, and worsening breathing difficulties. Contextually, the Delhi government has announced the implementation of GRAP Stage III, as Delhi recorded a ‘severe’ air quality rating, with pollution levels soaring beyond the 400mark, further worsening visibility. The government’s decision to implement GRAP Stage III comes after the Air Quality Index (AQI) in several parts of the city reached dangerously high levels.
‘GRAP’ Defined
The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is a set of guidelines and measures implemented to combat air pollution in India’s National Capital Region (NCR), which includes Delhi and its surrounding areas.
What exactly is GRAP Stage III?
GRAP for the National Capital Region (NCR) is classified under four different stages of adverse air quality in Delhi: Stage I — ‘poor’ (AQI 201-300); Stage II — ‘very poor’ (AQI 301-400); Stage III — ‘severe’ (AQI 401-450); and Stage IV — ‘severe plus’ (AQI >450).
What’s Banned Under GRAP Stage III: Construction and demolition activities; Stone crusher operations; Mining and associated activities; Operation of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel light motor vehicles (LMVs, including cars); and, even discontinuing of physical classes for children up to Class V and moving the same to online classes.
The air quality situation in Delhi-NCR remained in the ‘severe’ category for a second consecutive day in these days, compounded by a dip in temperature, with the New Delhi-Ridge area recording a low of 11.2°C. While Delhi’s Environment Minister initially stated that Stage III would not be enforced, the decision was later reversed due to the worsening air quality.
Photochemical Smog
Today, most of the smog we see is photochemical smog. Such a smog is produced when sunlight reacts with nitrogen oxides and at least one volatile organic compound (VOC) in the atmosphere. Nitrogen oxides come from car exhaust, coal power plants, and factory emissions. VOCs are released from gasoline, paints, and many cleaning solvents. When sunlight hits these chemicals, they form airborne particles and ground-level ozone or smog.
Ozone can be helpful or harmful. The ozone layer high in the atmosphere protects us from the sun’s dangerous ultraviolet radiation. But when ozone is close to the ground, it is bad for human health. Ozone can damage lung tissue, and it is especially dangerous to people with respiratory illnesses like asthma. Ozone can also cause itchy, burning eyes.
Smog is unhealthy to humans and animals, and it can kill plants. Smog is common in big cities with a lot of industry and traffic. Cities located in basins surrounded by mountains may have smog problems because the smog is trapped in the valley and cannot be carried away by wind. Los Angeles, California, United States, and Mexico have high smog levels partly because of such a landscape.
As now in India, many other countries, including the United States, have created laws to reduce smog. Some laws include restrictions on what chemicals a factory can release into the atmosphere, or when the factory can release them. Some communities have “burn days” when residents can burn waste such as leaves in their yard. These limits on chemicals released into the air reduce the amount of smog.
Smog is a great problem in many places of the world. Most large cities in the developing world are breaching global air pollution guidelines, according to new data from the ‘World Health Organization’.
Air pollution has risen much globally in the past years, with the WHO estimating that it causes many millions premature deaths a year, making it one of the greatest environmental risks to human health. It is a known fact that cities with over 100,000 inhabitants in low- and middle-income countries do not meet WHO air quality guidelines. Of the 3,000 cities in the WHO’s air quality database, the most polluted are those which record many a times more than the WHO’s recommended levels of PM10 particles. Cities of Nigeria, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, India, Bahrain, China, Afghanistan and more are included. Such cities are mostly located in rapidly growing economies in the Middle East and South East Asia.
China, which has been working to tackle its air pollution problem, is the only country with just one city on the most polluted list. However, the scientists at China’s Institute of Earth Environment have constructed the world’s largest air purifier in the northern city of Xian. The experimental smog-sucking tower stands at over 100 Mts tall and is designed to improve air quality in the city, where standards regularly fall short of expectations set by the World Health Organization.
The tower has already brought a noticeable improvement in air quality across an area. The system comprises a series of specially-adapted greenhouses situated at the base of the tower, which suck in polluted air and heat it using solar energy. The air then rises through layers of cleaning filters before being released into the atmosphere, with the researchers hoping to build a fully functioning tower around five times larger thereafter. This is similar to the Smog Free Project, created by Dutch artist Daan Roosegaarde as a means of purifying Beijing’s air.
That project consists of two parts. First, a seven-meter-tall tower sucks up polluted air, and cleans it at a nano-level. Second, the carbon from smog particles is turned into diamonds. In fact, the captured smog is transformed into diamonds as a large percentage of Beijing’s smog is carbon, which under 30 minutes of pressure can be turned into diamonds.
Notably, Mr. Roosegaarde has also applied the same theory to bicycles and created a Smog Free Bicycle, which featured a front-facing module that inhales polluted air, cleans it, and then releases clean air around the cyclist.
More smog towers are produced for parks and playgrounds across China’s cities. Air in these areas is 70-75% cleaner than the rest of the city. This is particularly good news for a country that had notoriously high levels of air pollution. China has also increased its investment in clean energy in comparison to the European Union.
This urges policy-makers at international, national and city level to promote cleaner transport, more efficient energy production and waste management.
Despite the bad news, the data also revealed that more than half of the monitored cities in high-income countries and more than one-third in low and middle-income countries reduced their air pollution levels by more than 5% in five years. However, urban air pollution continues to rise at an alarming rate, wreaking havoc on human health. At the same time, awareness is rising and more cities are monitoring their air quality. When air quality improves, global respiratory and cardiovascular-related illnesses automatically decrease.
Everyone can do one’s part to reduce smog by changing a few behaviors like drive less, prefer walking, biking, carpooling, and using public transportation whenever possible.
Take care of cars. Getting regular tune-ups, changing oil when scheduled, and inflating tires to the proper level can improve gas mileage and thus reduce emissions. Fuel up during the cooler hours of the day—night or early morning. This prevents gas fumes from heating up and producing ozone. Avoid products that release high levels of VOCs. For example, use low-VOC paints. Avoid gas-powered yard equipment, like lawn mowers. Use electric appliances instead.
Mexico City
As per a Fact, during the early 1900s, Mexico City was known for having the cleanest air in the world. Author Carlos Fuentes wrote a novel about the city in 1959 and called it ‘Where the Air is Clear’. Today, however, Mexico City is one of the smoggiest places on the Earth.
In the capital city, some activities allowed under ‘GRAP Stage III’ include: Railway services and related projects; Metro rail services and stations; Airports and interstate bus terminals; Projects related to national security, defense, and national importance; Hospitals and healthcare facilities; Linear public projects, such as highways, roads, flyovers, and power transmission/distribution lines; Sanitation projects, like sewage treatment plants and water supply works; Non-polluting construction activities such as plumbing, electrical works, and carpentry, except for tasks like painting, polishing, and varnishing.
Lahore Records Unprecedented Levels
Pakistan’s Punjab battles toxic smog every winter as cold air traps dust, emissions, and smoke from illegal stubble burning on fields. This year too, air quality has deteriorated drastically in recent weeks and the province’s capital Lahore currently ranks as the world’s most polluted city, according to IQAir.
It has now declared health emergency, flagged lockdown measures as toxic smog and air pollution has soared. Toxic smog has been choking Lahore in Pakistan and residents have been urged to stay indoors. It may order a three-day lockdown next week if conditions don’t improve. More than 70,000 patients with respiratory issues have been treated daily in Pakistan due to the high levels of air pollution.
Air Quality Index (AQI) readings in Lahore reached 637, significantly higher than levels recommended by the World Health Organization. By way of comparison, AQI readings of Sydney and Melbourne recently were 13 and 18 respectively, according to IQAir.
Educationist/Administrator/Editor/Author/Speaker
Commencing teaching in his early twenties, Prof Aggarwal has diverse experience of great tenure in the top institutions not only as an educationist, administrator, editor, author but also promoting youth and its achievements through the nicest possible content framing. A revolutionary to the core, he is also keen to address the society around him for its betterment and growth on positive notes while imbibing the true team spirit the work force along with.
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