Toxic City

  • Barnali Dutta / FG
  • India
  • Mar 27, 2015


Photo: Prakhar Pandey

When Gurgaon was built as India’s millennium city, it was meant to be a living paradise for its residents. In less than two decades the City has degenerated into a pollution quagmire, which is threatening the environment and even human lives. Delhi may have been in the spotlight for being the world's most polluted city, as per a recent urban air quality database released by the World Health Organisation, but Gurgaon is definitely no better. Some recent figures on air and water pollution are quite worrisome. According to environmental data in the Numbeo website, the world’s largest database of user-contributed data about cities worldwide, the air pollution index in Gurgaon is at a high of over 74, drinking water pollution and inaccessibility is nearly 68, dissatisfaction with garbage disposal is over 78, everything that describes the city as dirty and untidy is also at a high of 79 and noise and light pollution too are at a high of 74.  Given the high pollution indices, the purity and cleanliness of the environment is understandably low. People are also none too happy with the disposal of garbage or the overall cleanliness of the City. A recent survey of people residing in Gurgaon has shown their high dissatisfaction in terms of time spent outdoors - including in the City’s parks. Even green areas appear to offer little solace against the all-pervading haze. According to Deeksha, a non-profit organisation working in the field of environmental pollution and awareness, ‘the governmental apathy is a cause for concern’. Ms Rupali, a resident of Malibu Towne, is also very upset with how the issue of environmental pollution is being approached. “When a city grows, it is bound to come with attendant woes. But the authorities have to be alert,” she says. She agrees that people have to do their part as well.   

Some figures on pollution released by the Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) found a 24-hour average PM 2.5 (fine, respirable Particulate Matter) level to be almost 13 times the national  safeguard standard. This is considered a serious threat to health. Being ultra fine, these particles can be easily lodged in human lungs and reduce their capacity over time. These are also linked to cardiac conditions, such as strokes and heart rhythm disorders.

According to the CSE researchers, it is appalling that the Haryana State Pollution Board was not even monitoring the PM 2.5 levels in the area, despite the City being a business hub. There is no real time automatic air quality monitoring in Gurgaon, the researchers say. They add that Delhi may be trying to put in place various air pollution-combating policies, but there can be no improvement in the overall air quality unless other NCR cities like Gurgaon implement similar policies. “Air pollution has no borders. We need policies that treat NCR like a common air shed. Public transport needs to be urgently upgraded in all the cities," says Anumita Roy Chowdhury, head of CSE's clean air programme. During CSE's experiment in Gurgaon, the team covered IFFCO Chowk-Cyber Greens office area- Sohna Road-Artemis Hospital- Amity International School- Medanta-Rajiv Chowk- Civil Hospital-Sadar Bazar-Udyog Vihar. The hourly average PM 2.5 level during peak evening hours at IFFCO Chowk was recorded at 996 microgram per cubic metre (mgcm). In the late evening, the PM 2.5 level crossed 1,094 mgcm at the Cyber Greens office area. Even at the time when children go to school and people start their healthy morning walks, the air pollution levels were found to be quite high. Rathi, an official of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board, agrees that the unbridled growth in vehicles and vehicular traffic in NCR and the poor adherence to emission norms has affected the environment in the area. “It is difficult to say which part of the City is more polluted than the other. But, on the whole, the situation is grim and we need tough measures to contain this air pollution,” he says. The census data provided by CSE shows that Gurgaon has 232 cars and two-wheelers per 1,000 people (versus 172 in Chandigarh and 120 in Delhi. In Gurgaon, 43% of the households own two-wheelers and 33% own cars. There is a high proportion of diesel cars. “Once again, gross disregard of vehicle emission norms by owners and drivers is leading to a rapid increase in air pollution,” says Nemi Chand, a trader in pollution check and garbage disposal equipment. “Further, the government department that installs the equipment and supervises the pollution checks of vehicles at various fuel stations, does not act strictly against violators,” he adds. Strangely, there were loads of protests by the Gurgaon small and medium industries when the Gurgaon pollution authorities had gone on an overdrive. Some of the measures introduced were thought to be very stringent. The industry’s grouse was also the excessive paperwork involved in getting approvals from the pollution control board. Some relaxations have since been given, including the removal of penal measures on non-polluting industries. The pollution control board has also revised its classification system. The colour-coded categories of red, orange and green - for highly, moderately, or non-polluting industries respectively - have been tweaked slightly, while the selection criteria have been relaxed. The transport department (RTA) says that it makes sure that only BS3 and BS4 compliant cars get registered. "I believe that traffic control needs to become much more active and strict in Gurgaon. Of course we conduct our regular check ups," says one of the officials of the RTA department.  The Haryana Pollution Control Board has issued a series of ‘Dos and Don’ts’, which start virtually from home: water conservation measures, discouraging the use of plastic bags, separation of dry and wet garbage, a check on sound pollution (such as lowering the volume of television sets) and conservation of electricity. The Board also wants to discourage the use of vehicles to places that are within walking distance, encourage utilisation of car pools by school children and office goers, and wants you to check your vehicle's pollution periodically (and also maintain it well). These measures will not only reduce pollution, but also help keep the vehicles in better shape, feel Board officials. Meanwhile, the dark cloud still hovers overhead.

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