Pragmatic solutions to Guwahati's air pollution

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Guwahati remaining at "very poor" and "poor" levels at different locations for the past several consecutive days poses serious health risks to the city residents. The situation calls for drastic measures to curb vehicular and other pollution in the capital city to prevent the AQI from slipping into the "severe" level. The level of PM2.5, the prominent pollutant, touching the 434 mark around the IIT Guwahati monitoring station against the day's average of 322 indicates the number of microparticles and airborne chemicals inhaled by the city residents making them susceptible to severe respiratory illness. The Average AQI for the city month of last year, according to the Pollution Control Board, Assam, considering data from six monitoring stations was 134 in January and 130 in February which is categorized as "moderate" that can cause breathing discomfort for people with lung, heart disease, children and older adults. The alarming rise in the AQI level this year is a cause for grave concern and the consequences of ignoring the ground realities will prove costly. Prolonged exposure to "poor" air quality causes breathing discomfort to most people, prolonged exposure to "very poor" air quality causes respiratory illness while exposure to "severe" air quality with AQI level between 401 and 500 affects healthy people and seriously impacts the health of those with existing disease. Inadequacy of the Pollution Control Board, Assam, in measuring PM2.5 levels in several busy localities of the city leaves room for apprehension that the actual AQI level could be worse. Dry weather prevailing over the city due to nil rainfall throughout the winter season has increased dust concentrations worsening the AQI level. Rainfall data released by the Regional Meteorological Centre, Guwahati, shows a 100% departure from the normal rainfall of 3.1 mm to nil rainfall in the current month. The city residents desperately need rain for the removal of dust from the air and for the veil of haze to lift at the earliest. Traffic congestion is a major contributory factor in worsening AQI levels but the number of vehicles on road outpacing the effective carriageway of city roads measures like traffic lights has not helped achieve the desired objectives. The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change focus on three key interventions for improvement in ambient air quality- institutional strengthening, knowledge and database actions and mitigation actions. The programme emphasizes a credible, transparent, and accountable data collection and monitoring system that is available for timely swift action required and the creation of a three-tier system that includes real-time physical data collection, data archiving and data analytics infrastructure, and action trigger system. The NCAP underscores the importance of extensive tree plantation drive in urban areas more specifically in pollution hotspots such as traffic junctions, industrial zones, footpaths, dust-prone areas, etc., by identification and use of specialized plant species having high pollutants absorbing capacity. Guwahati has witnessed just the opposite. Construction of houses, buildings and multi-storeyed apartments, and the widening of roads and highways to cater to the rising residential population has led to the felling of more trees on the city hills and in most residential areas. Most residential apartments have come up as concrete jungles with some housing campuses not having a single tree. Apart from reducing the capacity of these localities to trap dust and pollutants, the vanishing of trees has also compounded the problem of waterlogging, and landslide with the increased runoff of surface water to the drains and roads as well as the problem of depletion of groundwater level. The city authorities enforcing mandatory tree plantation for obtaining building permits and also asking owners of residential buildings without trees to undertake plantation drives can reverse the trend. Regular monitoring and inspection of the localities and residential campuses by officials will help build awareness among residents about growing trees in the city to mitigate air pollution. Guwahati Municipal Corporation authorities desilting the drains for improving stormwater drainage as part of preparedness for the Monsoon season is laudable, but silt lifted from the drains kept on the roadside for days together to dry instead of immediately removed from the roadside is another source of increasing dust pollution in the city. The recurrence of silt taken out from the drains and left dumped despite being brought to the notice of the GMC authorities repeatedly in the past speaks volumes of the apathy of the city authorities towards public health issues, particularly when the AQI level has deteriorated. The city residents travelling by public vehicles, and bicycles to reduce the number of private vehicles on the roads can be an effective citizens' action for mitigating air pollution. The public transport system in the city becoming more efficient and smooth is crucial to motivate the residents to undertake such voluntary actions. Improvement of air quality in the city needs collaborative efforts by the residents and the authorities.