To Tackle Air Pollution
1. Context: A Tale of Two Cities
The Divergence: Both Beijing and Delhi historically faced severe smog. However, between 2013 and 2021, Beijing achieved a turnaround, while Delhi remains among the world’s most polluted cities.
Data Point:
Beijing: PM2.5 levels dropped from 102 μg/m³ (2013) to 31 μg/m³ (2024) — a >50% reduction.
Delhi: Continues to struggle with hazardous air quality levels.
2. The Beijing Model: Pillars of Success
China’s turnaround was driven by the "Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan" and the "Blue Sky Protection Campaign."
A. Three Strategic Pillars
Coherent Policy: Shifted from scattered laws to a unified national vision.
Strict Enforcement (Environmental Vertical Reform):
Local officials were held directly accountable for environmental targets.
Massive penalties imposed for non-compliance.
Regional Coordination (The "Airshed" Strategy):
Beijing coordinated with neighboring provinces (Tianjin and Hebei).
Concept: Treated air pollution as a regional issue rather than a city-specific one, ensuring control of transboundary pollution.
B. Key Sectoral Measures
Energy Transition: Massive replacement of coal-fired boilers with natural gas; aggressive shift away from coal.
Industrial Action: Relocation or shutdown of hundreds of polluting industries; creation of serviced industrial zones.
Vehicular Emissions:
Implementation of China VI emission standards (equivalent to Euro VI).
Rapid expansion of electric mobility and public transport.
Technology & Monitoring: Established one of the world’s densest real-time PM2.5 monitoring networks to identify hotspots immediately.
3. India’s Framework: Status and Gaps
Despite a robust legal framework, outcomes have been limited.
A. Existing Framework
Key Laws: Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981; Environment Protection Act (EPA), 1986.
Institutions: CPCB, SPCB, CAQM (Commission for Air Quality Management), NGT.
Programmes: NCAP (National Clean Air Programme), GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan).
Measures: Odd-Even scheme, construction bans, BS-VI norms, crop residue management.
B. Structural Bottlenecks (Why India Lags)
Fragmented Governance: Responsibility is diffused across Union, State, Municipal, and Pollution Control Board levels, leading to a "blame game."
Weak Regional Coordination: Unlike Beijing’s integrated airshed approach, India’s CAQM struggles to enforce directives on cross-state issues like stubble burning effectively.
Enforcement Deficit:
SPCBs are chronically understaffed and underfunded.
Penalties are often weak or inconsistently applied.
Infrastructure Gaps:
Industrial Relocation: Projects like Bawana failed due to poor infrastructure.
Public Transport: Expansion (e.g., bus fleets) lags behind population growth.
Monitoring: Lack of a dense, real-time grid comparable to Beijing's.
4. Way Forward: Integrating Lessons
| Area of Reform | Suggested Action (Indian Context) |
| Governance | Mission Mode Approach: Declare air pollution a public health emergency. Adopt a "Whole-of-Government" approach akin to China’s vertical reform. |
| Regional Strategy | Airshed Governance: Move beyond political boundaries. Create a unified authority for the Delhi–NCR–Adjoining Regions airshed with binding powers. |
| Industry | Functional Zoning: Transition from paper-based relocation to fully serviced industrial zones (utilities, transport, waste treatment). |
| Energy | Clean Transition: Accelerate the shift from coal to renewables/gas. Enforce strict energy efficiency in industries. |
| Transport | Mobility Shift: Scale up public transport and EV infrastructure. Strictly enforce BS-VI norms. |
| Monitoring | Data-Driven Action: Deploy continuous real-time monitoring for industrial smoke and effluents to automate compliance checks. |
5. Conclusion
The economy operates within the environment, not the other way around. Beijing’s success proves that "Blue Skies" are achievable, but they require a shift from fragmented management to unified governance, backed by strong political will and an uncompromising "polluter pays" enforcement mechanism.
