MEMBERS REFERENCE SERVICE

LARRDIS
LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT
NEW DELHI

REFERENCE NOTE
For the use of Members of Parliament NOT FOR PUBLICATION

No.6/RN/Ref/March/2018

DELHI AIR POLLUTION:

POLLUTION
AN OVERVIEW

Prepared by Dr. Jayadev Sahu,, Additional Director (2303

(23035025) and Shri Sai Ram C.V. , Junior Library
Assitant of Lok Sabha Secretariat under the supervision of Smt. Kalpana Sharma, Joint Secretary and
Smt. Anita Khanna, Director.

The Reference Note is for personal use of the Members in the discharge of their Parliamentary duties, and is
not for publication. This Service is not to be quoted as the source of information as it is based on the sources
indicated at the end/in the context.
 DELHI AIR POLLUTION: AN OVERVIEW
Introduction
Pure air is a mixture of various gases such as nitrogen, oxygen, argon,
carbon dioxide, and small amount of other gases in a fixed proportion. If the
composition of air alters by any means; it is known as air pollution, which can
lead to effects on human health, environment, and other living creatures.
According to The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, “air
pollution is the presence of any solid, liquid, or gaseous substance in the
atmosphere in such concentration as may be or tend to be injurious to human
beings or other living creatures or plants or property or environment”.

Delhi, with an area of 1483 km2, is geographically located in North India

within the latitude 28°24’17” and 28°53’00’’N, and longitude 77°45’30’’ and
1
77°21’30’’E . Delhi is jointly administered by the Central and State
Governments. As of 2011, Delhi inhabitates approximately 16.3 million people;
thus becoming the second most populous city in India. However, due to rapid
development, Delhi is also facing serious challenges in terms of air pollution.
There are a number of factors responsible for the altered composition of the
ambient air which can be mainly categorised as natural causes and
anthropogenic (man-made) causes.

Air Pollutants
The substances which are responsible for causing air pollution are called as air
pollutants.
Classification of Air Pollutants
Air pollutants can be categorized by various means:

On the basis of source of origin

1
Delhi Statistical Handbook, 2017, p.1.
 2

1. Natural air pollutants: Natural air pollutants are emitted from natural sources
such as volcanic activity, dust, sea-salt, forest fires, lightening, soil, etc.
2. Anthropogenic air pollutants: These pollutants include the emissions from
stationary point sources (e.g. emission from industries), mobile sources (e.g.
vehicular emission, marine vessels, airplanes etc.), waste disposal landfills,
controlled burning, etc.

On the basis of method of origin

1. Primary air pollutants: Those pollutants which are emitted directly from any
emission source in the atmosphere are termed as primary air pollutants, e.g.
sulphur dioxide (SO2),carbon monoxide (CO), lead (Pb), ammonia (NH3),etc.
2. Secondary air pollutants: Secondary pollutants are formed by the reactions
between primary air pollutants and normal atmospheric constituents. In some of
the cases, these pollutants are formed by utilizing the solar energy, e.g. ozone,
peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), smog, etc

On the basis of chemical composition

1. Organic air pollutants: Examples are hydrocarbons, aldehydes, ketones,
amines, and alcohols, etc.
2. Inorganic air pollutants: Examples are carbon compounds (CO and
carbonates), nitrogen compounds (NOX and NH3), sulphur compounds (H2S,
SO2, SO3, H2SO4), halogen compounds (HF, HCl etc.), flyash, silica, etc.

On the basis of state of matter

1. Gaseous air pollutants: Pollutants which are in the form of gas are termed as
gaseous air pollutants, e.g. Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide(NOX),
Ozone(O3), Carbon Monoxide(CO),etc.
 3

2. Particulate air pollutants: Particulate air pollutants or particulate matter (PM)

can be defined as the microscopic solid or liquid matter suspended in the earth’s
atmosphere. There are various subtypes of particulate matter:
a. Total suspended particulate matter (TSPM): The concentration of
particulate matter which is obtained when a high volume bulk sampling is
done on a filter substrate. It includes particles of all sizes.
b. PM10: These are the particles less than 10 μm in diameter.
c. PM2.5: These are the particles less than 2.5 μm in diameter.
d. PM1.0: These are the particles less than 1 μm in diameter.
Particles which lie between 10μm to 2.5μm are termed as ‘coarse particles’
whereas particles with diameter less than 2.5μm are called as ‘fine particles’.
Fine particles also include ultra-fine particles of size less than 0.1 μm (PM0.1).

National Ambient Air Quality Standards(NAAQS)

To build-up a programme for the effective management of ambient air
quality and to reduce the damaging effects of air pollution, development of
national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) is a pre-requisite. Central
Pollution Control Board had adopted first ambient air quality standards on
November, 1982. These standards have been revised by CPCB in 1994, and
later in 2009, which is shown in Annexure-I. Government of India has laid
down National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for twelve pollutants
namely, Particulate Matter 10 (PM10), PM2.5, Carbon Monoxide (CO), Sulphur
Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Ammonia (NH3), ground level Ozone
(O3), Lead, Arsenic, Nickel, Benzene and Benzo(a)pyrene to control air
pollution under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

National Air Quality Index

The National Air Quality Index (AQI) has been launched during 2015
which is a web-based system designed to provide simplified form of air quality
 4

data on real time basis. Air Quality Index (AQI) is a tool for effective
communication of air quality status to people in terms, which are easy to
understand. It transforms complex air quality data of various pollutants into a
single number (index value), nomenclature and colour. There are six AQI
categories, namely good, satisfactory, moderately polluted, poor, very poor, and
severe. Each of these categories is decided based on ambient concentration
values of air pollutants and their likely health impacts (known as health
breakpoints).
AQI Associated health impacts
Good (0 – 50) Minimal impact
Satisfactory (51 – 100) Minor breathing discomfort to sensitive people
Moderately polluted Breathing discomfort to people with lungs, asthma, and heart
(101 – 200) diseases
Poor (201 – 300) Breathing discomfort to most people on prolonged exposure
Very poor (301 – 400) Respiratory illness on prolonged exposure
Severe (401 – 500) Affects healthy people, and seriously impacts those with existing
diseases

Air Quality Monitoring in Delhi

Air quality monitoring in Delhi is carried out through a number of air
quality monitoring stations situated across the territory. The monitoring is
undertaken by various organizations viz. Central Pollution Control Board
(CPCB), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), and System of Air
Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) of Indian Institute of
Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune. Monthly Air Quality Index value of Delhi
for last three year is given in Annexure-II.
It hardly needs to be emphasized that Delhi is an air-shed and action is
within Delhi impact pollution outside the capital as well as action in adjoining
cities such as Gurugram, Ghaziabad, NOIDA, Faridabad impact air quality in
Delhi.
 5

Reason for Delhi Air Pollution

According to a study conducted by Central Pollution Control Board in
20162 on Delhi Air Pollution, there are several factors which contributes the
higher level of air pollution in Delhi.
The study finds that the vehicular pollution, domestic pollution, industrial
emission, road dust, and garbage burning contributes a large share in Delhi’s
total pollution load. Furthermore, construction of infrastructure including large
residential complexes potentially contributes to the Delhi’s air pollution load.
While there are a number of source apportionment studies that try to
identify the sources of pollutants, it must be taken into account that the
contributions of different sources vary during different seasons. Tables No. 1,2
and 3 at Annexure - III indicate the year average, winter and summer source
respectively. It is noticed that of the six main pollutants PM10, PM2.5, NOx are
consistently over safe limits.
As per the Economic Survey of Delhi 2016-17, the total number of motor
vehicles on road in NCT of Delhi was 97.05 lakh, showing an increase of 9.94
per cent over previous year. The excessive usage of cars and motor cycles are
the pertinent causes for rising vehicular pollution load. This leads to rising NO2
as well as particulate matter concentration. Particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5)
emanates especially from the vehicular exhausts; particularly diesel vehicles,
road dust, and industrial activities such as combustion processes, construction
activities, etc.
Tremendous growth of industrial sector is also responsible for pollution.
As per the report of Economic Survey of Delhi 2016-17, there are 8.75 lakhs
total industrial establishments operating in Delhi according to 6th Economic
Census 2013. The census registered an increase of 1,17,565 establishments over
5th Economic Census conducted during 2005. In many of the industries,
installed air pollution control devices are found in idle conditions which lead to
2
Air Pollution in Delhi An Analysis, CPCB 2016.
 6

the emission of pollutants directly into the atmosphere without any filtration.
Further, construction of short chimneys also restricts the polluting gases to
escape into the upper layers of the atmosphere.

Meteorological Issue
Apart from the vehicular and industrial emissions, local climatic and
seasonal factors also affect the air quality of Delhi. Delhi, being a land-locked
territory, is unable to dilute its emission using the moderating effects of sea; the
opportunity availed by other metropolitan cities, such as Mumbai, Kolkata, and
Chennai. Surrounded by the regions of varied climate, Delhi also represents a
great variability in the seasonal patterns. In its west, there is Great Indian desert
(Thar desert) of Rajasthan while in the north and east direction there are cool
hilly regions. At its south, there are central hot plains. Thus, Delhi is located in
the subtropical belt with extremely scorching summers, moderate rainfall, and
chilling winters.
The winters are extremely important in Delhi as it is dominated by cold,
dry air, and ground based inversion with low wind conditions, which are
responsible for increasing concentration of pollutants. High concentration of
pollutants is trapped close to earth’s surface because a layer of warm air acts as
a lid on top of this layer. Moreover, dense smog formation during winter
months has also been witnessed in Delhi, the reason of which is vehicular
pollution as well as the prevailing meteorological conditions in the months of
December and January. Similarly, wind pattern also affects the weather
conditions. According to Economic Survey 2017-18, some 35 million tons of
rice-paddy stubble in 10 million ha, in three adjoining States (Punjab, Haryana
and Western Uttar Pradesh), burnt in late October, results in combination of
pollution and fog, leading to heavy smog formation in Delhi, especially during
winters. In summers, although there is no inversion phenomenon, still the air
quality deteriorates because of the increased concentration of PM10, which is
 7

due to dust. However, it becomes toxic due to the coating of polluted emissions
from various sources. Nevertheless, during rainy season pollution level goes
down due to dust suspension. Thus, air pollution in Delhi is a trans-boundary
and climate induced phenomenon.

Initiatives to improve the air quality of Delhi

 In the Union Budget 2018 Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced "Air
pollution in the Delhi-NCR region has been a cause of concern. A special
Scheme will be implemented to support the efforts of the governments of
Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and the NCT of Delhi to address air
pollution and to subsidize machinery required for in-situ management of
crop residue."
 A draft action agenda has been formulated by a High Level Task Force
that has been set up under the Chairmanship of Principal Secretary to
Prime Minister for management of air pollution in Delhi NCR. The Task
Force will finalise ‘Air Action Plan – Abatement of Air Pollution in the
Delhi National Capital Region. The Task Force will monitor the listed
key action. The draft Air Action Plan is available on:
http://www.moef.nic.in/sites/default/files/press-
releases/Air%20Action%20Plan%20for%20public%20consultation.pdf
 The Central Government had notified a Graded Response Action Plan on
12th January 2017 for Delhi and NCR, which comprises measures such as
prohibition on entry of trucks into Delhi; ban on construction activities,
introduction of odd and even scheme for private vehicles, shutting of
schools, closure of brick kilns, hot mix plants and stone crushers; shutting
down of Badarpur power plant, ban on diesel generator sets, garbage
burning in landfills and plying of visibly polluting vehicles etc. The
nature, scope and rigor of measures to be taken is linked to levels of
pollution viz. severe + or emergency, severe, very poor, moderate to poor
 8

and moderate, after due consideration by authorities concerned. The

actions are to be implemented in the entire NCR. Besides, action related
to stubble burning is to be implemented by Government of Punjab. The
details of Graded Response Action Plan are available on:
http://envfor.nic.in/content/so-118e-12-01-2017-graded-response-action-plan-
control-air-pollution-delhi-and-national-capi

Other Initiatives by the Government of India: The Government of

India has taken several steps to address air pollution which inter alia,
include notification of National Ambient Air Quality Standards; setting
up of monitoring network for assessment of ambient air quality;
introduction of cleaner / alternate fuels like gaseous fuel (CNG, LPG,
etc.), ethanol blending; launching of National Air Quality Index;
universalization of BS-IV from 2017; leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI
fuel standards from 1st April, 2018; notification of Construction and
Demolition Waste Management Rules; banning of burning of biomass;
promotion of public transport network; streamlining the issuance of
Pollution Under Control Certificate; installation of on-line continuous
(24x7) monitoring devices by major industries; collection of
Environmental Protection Charge on more than 2000 CC diesel vehicles
etc.3

Conclusion
The Central and State Governments has been taking several steps to
reduce the level of air pollution in Delhi. As per data on AQI in Delhi in NCR,
there has been an improvement in the overall air quality in year 2017as
compared to year 2016. The number of severe, poor and very poor AQI days
were less compared to last year(214 vs. 181). Similarly, the number of good,

3
Rajya Sabha Unstarred Question No. 219, dated 05 Feb 2018
 9

satisfactory and moderate days were greater than last year (151 against
109).4 However, more still needs to be done to further reduce the levels of air
pollution. The already existing measures need to be strengthened and magnified
to a larger scale. The governmental efforts alone are not enough. Participation
of the community is crucial in order to make Delhi NCR an air pollution free
place.

Sources Consulted
1. Air Pollution in Delhi An Analysis, Envis Centre CPCB,MoEFCC 2016.
2. Economic Survey, 2017-18.
3. Economic Survey of Delhi, 2016-17.
4. Delhi Statistical Hand Book, 2017.
5. Answers to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Questions.
6. Press Clippings.

4
Ibid.
 Annexure - I
National Ambient Air Quality Standards(NAAQS) - (2009)

Pollutants Time Concentration in Ambient Air Methods of Measurement

Weighted Industrial, Ecologically
Average Residential, Sensitive Area
Rural and (Notified by
other Areas Central
Government)
Sulphur Dioxide Annual * 50 20 -Improved West and Gaeke Method
3
(SO2), µg/m 24 Hours ** 80 80 -Ultraviolet Fluorescence
Nitrogen Dioxide Annual * 40 30 -Jacob &Hochheiser modified
3
(NO2), µg/m 24 Hours ** 80 80 (NaOH-NaAsO2) Method
-Gas Phase Chemiluminescence
Particulate Matter Annual * 60 60 -Gravimetric
(Size less than 10µm) 24 Hours ** 100 100 -TEOM
3
or PM10, µg/m -Beta attenuation
Particulate Matter Annual * 40 40 -Gravimetric
(Size less than 2.5µm) 24 Hours ** 60 60 -TEOM
3
or PM2.5 , µg/m -Beta attenuation
Ozone (O3) 8 Hours * 100 100 -UV Photometric
3
µg/m 1 Hour ** 180 180 -Chemiluminescence
-Chemical Method
Lead (Pb) Annual * 0.50 0.50 -AAS/ICP Method after sampling on
3
µg/m 24 Hours ** 1.0 1.0 EPM 2000 or equivalent filter paper
-ED-XRF using Teflon filter
Carbon Monoxide(CO), 8 Hours ** 02 02 -Non dispersive Infrared (NDIR)
3
mg/m 1 Hour ** 04 04 Spectroscopy
Ammonia (NH3), Annual * 100 100 -Chemiluminescence
3
µg/m 24 Hours ** 400 400 -Indophenol method
Benzene (C 6 H6), Annual * 05 05 -Gas Chromatography (GC) based
3
µg/m continuous analyzer
-Adsorption and desorption followed
by GC analysis
Benzo(a)Pyrene (BaP) Annual * 01 01 -Solvent extraction followed by
Particulate phase only, HPLC/GC analysis
3
ng/m
Arsenic (As), Annual * 06 06 -AAS/ICP Method after sampling on
3
ng/m EPM 2000 or equivalent filter paper
Nickel (Ni), Annual * 20 20 -AAS/ICP Method after sampling on
3
ng/m EPM 2000 or equivalent filter paper

* Annual Arithmetic mean of minimum 104 measurements in a year at a particular site taken twice a
week 24 hourly at uniform intervals.
** 24 hourly or 8 hourly or 1 hourly monitored values, as applicable, shall be complied with 98% of the
time in a year. 2% of the time, they may exceed the limits but not on two consecutive days of monitoring.

NOTE: Whenever and wherever monitoring results on two consecutive days of monitoring exceed the limits
specified abovefor the respective category, it shall be considered adequate reason to institute regular or
continuous monitoring and further investigations
 Annexure - II

Source:Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Air Laboratory, December, 2017.

 Annexure - III
Table 1 - Source Apportionment Study
Year Average
Parameters Industrial Stack Vehicles Road Dust Others
PM10 10% 9% 56% 25%
PM2.5 11% 20% 38% 31%
NOx 52% 36% 0% 12%
SO2 91% 1% 1% 7%
CO 3% 83% 0% 14%

Table 2 - Source Apportionment

Winter
Pollutants Secondary particles Vehicles Biomass MSW Soil Coal Construction
(Power Burning burning and and Material
Plants+Industries Road Fly
+ Dust Ash
Gen Sets)
PM10 25% 20% 17% 9% 14% 12% 3%
PM2.5 30% 25% 26% 8% 4% 5% 2%
 Secondary Particles – NOx (greater load) and SOx from Thermal Power
Plants+Industries in Delhi+DGSets+Vehicles contribute to over 25%
 Control over Vehicular Pollution is of prime importance.
 Stubble burning causes one fourth of the load.
 Pollution due to road dust in absolute terms does not decline much.

Table 3 - Source Apportionment

Summer
Pollutants Coal and Road Biomass Secondary MSW Vehicles Construction
Fly Ash Dust Burnin particles burnin Material
g g
PM10 38% 27% 7% 10% 8% 6% 4%
PM2.5 26% 27% 12% 15% 7% 9% 3%
 Due to arid conditions and greater wind velocity – Fly Ash and Road Dust biggest
contributor.
 Secondary particles high -Vehicular Pollution and Thermal Power Plants are main
source.
 Contribution of biomass burning is still high.