Beijing's war against air pollution - Lesson for Delhi

2 min read

14.12.2024 - The Hindu

Beijing's yearly average air quality index (AQI) of 144, was as polluted in 2015 as Delhi is today (Delhi’s average is 155 for 2024).

Beijing’s pollution control programme dates back to 1998 .

Major reason to achieve

Financial invenstment that the government committed to, a six-time jump in investment within just four years

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Three phases to control air pollution

  1. 1998-2008
  2. 2009-12
  3. 2013-17: Focused on the need for regional cooperation, with five adjoining provinces around Beijing coming together to chalk out a collective plan for reducing ambient pollution in the region.

Sources of Pollution and steps to tackle them

Energy structures and coal combustion (contributing 22% to PM2.5) - ultra-low emission renovation and - clean energy alternatives in power plants, - renovation of coal-fired boilers, and - elimination of civil bulk coal consumption used for residential heating. Transportation structures (31%) - retrofitted cars and public service vehicles with diesel particulate filters (DPF) - gradually tightened emission standards.
- scrapping, through subsidies instead of decree, of ‘yellow-labeled’ vehicles (heavy pollutant-emitting vehicles) - subway and bus infrastructure was overhauled and expanded at a rapid rate Construction and Industrial structures (33%) - tightening environmental requirements, - intensifying end-of-pipe (EOP) treatment, - eliminating obsolete industrial capacity, - creating a green construction management model, - efficient washing facilities, and - implementing video monitoring with penal action against violators of construction sites

Achievements

Four major pollutants targeted fell drastically

  1. Sulphur dioxide fell by 83%
  2. Nitrogen oxide fell by 43%
  3. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) fell by 42%
  4. PM 2.5 fell by 59%

Comparison of AQI in Beijing and Delhi from 2014 - 2024

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Lessons for Delhi

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  • Private transport is the biggest contributor of local pollution

  • Bus - metro integrated transport system can be envisioned

  • Delhi's bus fleet is grossly inadequate to its population

  • Metro is quite expensive

  • Old vehicles needs to be scrapped at the earliest through a well thought out subsidy for scrap programme instead of banning them

  • Exclusive cycling and walking lanes should be built throughout the city

  • Cross subsidisation through affordable public transport

  • High parking charges

  • Urban layout which reduces the distance between place of work and residence

  • Delhi's electricity bill is still supplied primarily through coal fired power plants

  • Subsidising solar roof tops and connecting it to the grid

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