Air pollution is the gravest issue faced by my hometown, New Delhi. It can be defined as the presence of undesirable & unwanted materials in dangerously high concentrations as a result of human activity. In India, and particularly in New Delhi, air pollution is a serious and widespread problem, especially in urban areas. Vehicles are major contributors to this problem. It is also compounded by the presence of industries, thermal power plants, brick kilns, etc. Vehicular emissions pose a very large problem because they are ground-level sources that have the largest impact on the residents of the city. The number of vehicles on Delhi’s roads increased from 300,000 in 1950-51 to 67,000,000 in 2003 and further to 14,180,000 in 2011. Personal vehicles constitute nearly four fifths of this number. Thus, they are a significant issue.

Many environmental solutions have been proposed to mitigate this problem. The government actively promotes means of public transport, particularly the citywide Delhi Metro. It has also taken steps for effective traffic planning and management. Most importantly, all personal vehicles (two-wheelers as well as cars) are required to undergo pollution-proofing to limit the emission of noxious gases. Cycling paths have been constructed for those who opt to bike.

Clean fuels, which produce less pollution, have been promoted and subsidised to encourage their use. The most prominent example is CNG (Compressed Natural Gas), which has been projected as a cheap, viable, and useful alternative to petrol and diesel, whose prices are continuously rising.

Cleaner technologies are being researched and developed.  Emission standards have been raised, and the monitoring, reporting and response system has been strengthened. Many economic incentives have been implemented or planned. The government is continuously exploring more drastic options, such as seeding of clouds to induce artificial rain, limiting of construction activity, enforcing a ban on heavy vehicles on the city’s roads and so on.

Industrialisation, urbanisation and increase in vehicular density have led to a severe drop in Delhi’s air quality. The situation worsens as it is compounded by further aerial pollution. The government continues to brainstorm and enforce new measures to mitigate this problem.