New Delhi: In Delhi, NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) pollution increased by 125 percent between April 2020 and April 2021, according to a Greenpeace India study that analyzed NO2 concentrations in India’s eighth-most populous state capitals.
According to the report, NO2 pollution has increased in all the eight capitals studied including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Jaipur and Lucknow, but Delhi has seen the ‘most dramatic increase’ during the period.
‘Satellite observations reveal NO2 pollution increased to 125 percent of April 2020 levels. The analysis suggests the increase would have been even greater (146 percent) had weather conditions been similar to 2020,’ read the report, titled ‘Behind the Smokescreen: Satellite Data Reveal Air Pollution Increase in India’s Eight Most Populous State Capitals’.
Despite being relatively better than the capital, other Indian cities too saw an increase in NO2 levels. NO2 levels in Mumbai increased by 52 percent, Bengaluru by 90 percent, Hyderabad by 69 percent, Chennai by 94 percent, Kolkata by 11 percent, Jaipur by 47 percent and Lucknow by 32 percent, according to the study.
There is growing evidence that polluted cities suffer disproportionately more Coronavirus cases than other cities as the pandemic continues to have a severe impact on India in 2021.
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According to Greenpeace India, ‘the health effects of fossil fuel pollution have been documented in multiple reports, but our dependence on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas continues to increase. In most cities, increased economic activity has been accompanied by toxic air pollution.’
‘During the national lockdown, people saw clean skies and breathed fresh air rather than the expected consequences of the pandemic,’ Avinash Chanchal, senior climate campaigner for Greenpeace India, told the media. He said recovery efforts from the pandemic must not come at the expense of a return to previous levels of air pollution. ‘The disruption caused by the pandemic needs to be addressed with the transition to cleaner, equitable and sustainable decentralized energy sources’, he said.
‘Indian cities, traffic and industries that burn fossil fuels are the main sources of NO2 pollution. ‘Our governments, local governments, and city planners must lead the transition from privately owned vehicles to an efficient, clean, and safe public transport system that runs on clean energy with COVID-19-related safety features,’ Chanchal said.
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