‘Band-aid fixes won’t save Delhi’s air or the Yamuna’: Environmentalist Vimlendu Jha

Delhi continues to choke under hazardous air and a frothing Yamuna, even as the government announces new measures every season. To understand whether these responses actually tackle the source of the crisis, The Federal spoke to environmentalist Vimlendu Jha, who breaks down the science, the governance gaps, and the urgent long-term solutions India can no longer ignore.

The PMO has ordered stricter action against polluting vehicles and is pushing a faster EV transition. Is this the right direction?

There is no doubt that vehicular pollution is one of the major contributors to Delhi’s toxic air. And the fact that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is intervening is welcome because this is not a state-specific issue. Over 90 per cent of India has poor air quality, and many regions have hazardous air quality. NCR’s problem is linked not just to Delhi but also to Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, even as stubble burning brings Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan into the picture.

However, when we speak of bringing in private vehicles and shifting them to EVs, I don’t think that should be the central approach. The choice of private vehicles should be left to citizens. The bigger challenge — why nearly 40 per cent of air pollution comes from the transport sector — is the lack of public transport infrastructure.

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Instead of focusing on what the private vehicle regime should be, the government must focus on the public transport regime — its affordability, density, access, and safety. And this is not just about Delhi but the entire NCR, including satellite cities like Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad, and Ghaziabad.

It’s good that the PMO is now active on air pollution, but we must do the right thing. The biggest solution is fixing the public transport infrastructure.

Reports show that 15 of the 35 coal plants around Delhi are still not controlling sulphur dioxide emissions. Why is this significant?

When we look at the contribution of various pollution sources, coal-based thermal power plants within a 300 km radius of Delhi contribute around 10 per cent to 12 per cent of the pollution load. Nearly 50 per cent of them do not follow emission norms, especially for sulphur dioxide.

High sulphur dioxide levels directly contribute to PM2.5 levels. The WHO’s permissible limit for PM2.5 is 15, whereas Delhi often records 300 to 350 during these months — almost 20 times worse. These particles are 30 to 40 times smaller than human hair. Once inhaled, they enter not just the lungs but the bloodstream, affecting respiratory function, kidneys, eyes, throat, arthritis condition — almost every part of the body.

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India has already committed to getting rid of coal eventually, but until then, we need to ensure these thermal plants at least comply with global emission standards. Of the 35 plants, 15 must immediately meet sulphur dioxide norms.

The Delhi chief minister has emphasised dust pollution and ordered daily surface cleaning with photo reports. Does this help air quality?

Dust is indeed a major contributor to PM10, mainly from construction and demolition sites and roadside dust. But again, the government is treating symptoms, not the source.

Sprinkling water may temporarily settle dust, but it does not address the cause. We have a fractured air-quality governance system, especially in NCR. Whether it is vehicular pollution or dust, most measures are band-aid solutions.

It is good that the chief minister is talking about dust control, but asking for photos of surface cleaning addresses only the symptom, not Delhi’s long-term air-quality crisis.

What long-term solutions should governments prioritise?

Public transport must be fixed immediately, since 40 per cent to 50 per cent of pollution comes from the mobility sector. Construction and demolition dust norms must be strictly enforced. Industrial emissions also need strong monitoring.

For this, the CPCB and state pollution control boards must be strengthened in terms of manpower, resources, and authority, so that norms are actually enforced on the ground.

We also need transparent data. India needs a robust system for data collection, analysis, and interpretation. We cannot keep sprinkling water on air-quality monitors or shutting them down to create a perception that pollution is low. That is perception management, not pollution management.

The Yamuna continues to froth despite changes in governments. Reports say defoaming chemicals were used for around 40 days. What do these chemicals do?

There is no government study on the long-term impact of defoamers. They simply remove the foam, giving the impression that the river is cleaner. But foam is only a symptom of pollution; it is not the pollution itself. The river is completely dead. CPCB data classifies Yamuna’s water quality as E class — unfit even for animal bathing, fit only for industrial cooling.

The froth exists because of phosphates and chemicals from municipal and industrial waste. With movement and friction, these chemicals create foam.

Earlier, defoamers were mostly used during Chhath celebrations. This year, their use has increased significantly. Internationally, studies show that silica and chemicals in defoamers can affect aquatic life and oxygen levels. The Yamuna in Delhi has no aquatic life left, but the water flows downstream and affects people living beyond Delhi.

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Large-scale defoaming activity is happening at Kalindi Kunj, where the river exits Delhi towards Uttar Pradesh. The water we release downstream must be cleaner, not chemically suppressed for optics.

What is the long-term solution for cleaning the Yamuna?

We must fix the source. Seventeen major drains discharge around 3,500 million litres of wastewater daily into the river. We need a robust sewage-treatment-plant regime in terms of both quality and capacity. Nearly 50 per cent of Delhi’s sewage treatment plants (STPs) do not meet standards. Industries are supposed to run effluent-treatment plants (ETPs), but they also do not comply.

Another major issue is the lack of freshwater in the river. A large amount is diverted upstream at Hathnikund Barrage into the western and eastern Yamuna canals for irrigation. What flows into Delhi is only a tiny stream. When the only water entering the river is untreated sewage, the result is a toxic waterway.

Yamuna is among the world’s most polluted rivers. Delhi now has both toxic air and a toxic river.

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