Air pollution in Gurugram, India

Problems

• Gurugram is among world’s most polluted cities

  Haryana's Gurugram is often called the city of the millennium of India. However, behind the beautiful name is a sick population. Increasing air pollution in the city has become a serious threat to human health.
  
  An IQAir report on the Global Air Quality Monitoring Platform and Greenpeace declared Gurugram the most polluted city in the world in 2018, and its air quality was 17 times worse than the World Health Organization's (WHO) safety limit. The content of harmful PM2.5 fractions in Gurugram's atmosphere exceeded 200-although World Health Organization standards state that the maximum daily average level should not exceed 25 µg/m3.  The data show that there were only three days a year when air quality was safe in the city.
  
  Nevertheless, the government and political leaders have taken a careless approach to the problem. The political apathy in this area is evident from the fact that none of the key political parties that ran in the 2019 Haryana Assembly elections built their campaign on this critical issue.

• Air quality monitoring stations

  Gurugram currently has only two monitoring stations to check the air quality in the city. The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has decided to install two additional air quality monitoring stations. City officials said that a "comprehensive" air pollution monitoring program is being prepared for the city after it is discussed with all stakeholders and the board to ensure that standards are strictly enforced.

• Causes of pollution

  The typical sources of air pollution involve emissions from vehicles, industries, thermal power plants, DG sets, and residential sources, among others. In Gurugram, other sources contributing to air pollution are construction activities, road dust, waste combustion, and seasonal stubble burning. Increasing dust from the Thar desert due to the ongoing destruction of the Aravalli range is also a concern. 
  
  Gurugram is home to the offices of many large national and international companies, resulting in the movement of heavy vehicles around the small perimeter of the area, resulting in serious air pollution. It is also the center of more than 300 large and small businesses that often violate air pollution standards. Large-scale construction activity in the region also contributes to the dust problem.
  
  The limited public transport options in Gurugram result in high vehicle ownership and pollution. The city has one of the highest vehicle ownership rates in the country – i.e. 323 cars per 1,000 people, which is higher than in Delhi (88 cars per 1000 people). In Gurugram, 43 percent of the households own two-wheelers, and 33 percent own cars. Bus numbers have not increased appreciably in the city and are 50 percent less than the service level benchmark of 60 buses per lakh population (it was 31 per lakh in 2014-15).
  
  Another problem is the use of a large number of diesel generators. In addition to shopping malls, markets, and offices, thousands of residential units operate with diesel generators. The Haryana government estimates that Gurugram currently has more than 14,000 diesel generators. A Delhi Center for Science and Environment (CSE) study reported that the use of diesel engines increased Gurugram's share of particulate matter by 2.5 and PM10 by 30 percent. There are several dozen companies in Gurugram homes without electricity. These buildings run diesel generators around the clock. As a result, pollution is a big problem for everyone.

• Health Impacts

  Exposure to high levels of air pollution can hurt the health of the citizens. It increases the risk of stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections. The impact varies with the nature and concentration of pollutants, exposure, health, and age of the receptor. Air pollution also causes several mental health complications such as impairment of cognitive abilities, increased risk of Dementia, and adverse effects on the development of infants’ brains.
  
  In addition, a recent study by Harvard University found that patterns in Covid-19 death rates generally mimic patterns in both high population density and high PM2.5 exposure areas. An increase of 1 μg/ m3 in PM2.5 is associated with an 8% increase in the COVID-19 death rate.
  
  The AQLI report by the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute found that exposure to PM2.5 — the most prominent pollutant in the city air — is potentially reducing the lifespan of the average citizen in Gurugram by 8.8 years compared to 5.2 years as the national average. Therefore, if PM2.5 was brought to a level under 10 μg/ m3 prescribed by WHO Guideline, the citizens could then potentially add 8.8 years to their lives.