Centre-state coordination must for cleaner air
Distinguished Fellow, The Energy and Resources Institute
Asevere spike in air pollution and the resulting health crisis during the winter season have been an annual feature in northern India. Now that the same party is in power in Punjab — allegedly a major source of the problem due to stubble burning — and Delhi — the main sufferer — there is greater potential for coordinated action. The Central Government is in a better position to get effective measures jointly implemented in the region.
Based on experience, there are feasible measures which could achieve a breakthrough. If initiated now, they could result in a substantial improvement in the air quality this winter itself.
Burning of the rice crop waste by farmers in northern India precipitates a surge in the pollution levels. The initial reflex response of the state was to ban the practice, making it a criminal offence. This, however, was a non-starter as no state government could possibly send farmers to prison in large numbers and enforce the ban. The repeal of the criminal provisions for crop burning was the first concession made by the government in its talks with the agitating farmers.
Efforts have also been on to persuade farmers to plough in the crop residue as it would enrich the soil. The price of Happy Seeders used for the purpose has been subsidised. But the impact so far has been marginal.
The fact is that burning the crop waste is the cheapest option for the farmer. Ploughing it in involves an extra cost which the farmer is not willing to bear. The only solution that would, therefore, work would be to offer the farmer a price for the crop waste which makes it worth his while to clear and sell. Assured purchase of crop waste at a remunerative price would be the solution.
But who will buy, who will pay, and what can be done with the waste? The successful use of briquettes/pellets made from the crop waste as a substitute for coal in thermal power plants offers a viable solution. A designated agency or one created for the purpose should buy the waste at the mandis where the crops are brought for sale. The Central Government, through its financial institutions, should provide credit for buying crop waste. It may then be given to private parties for conversion into briquettes/pellets and supply to designated thermal power plants. Land for conversion plants near the procurement points would need to be provided by the state governments at a nominal rent.
The thermal power stations in the region may be directed to use these in lieu of coal. As the cost of briquettes is, in energy terms, similar to that of coal, the impact on power prices would not be an issue. The whole cycle would be self-financing. It would need only a working capital and no subsidies. But it would require a major coordinated mission mode effort by the Central and state governments. Nothing of this nature and scale has been initiated in recent decades. The goal should be to have the system in place for buying all the rice crop waste this year.
The other major cause of air pollution is motor vehicles. A breakthrough seems feasible now as we have fuel and new vehicles of BS6 standards, comparable to the contemporary European standards. With business as usual, the older vehicles would continue to pollute till they went off the roads after many years. Trucks, buses, taxis, tempos, three-wheelers and two-wheelers pollute the air more as they run more. Getting them off the road and physically scrapping them in a time-bound manner would give us clean air. A network of scrap yards with digital traceability of the vehicles scrapped needs to be established. Scrapping all BS4 commercial vehicles more than five years old by 2024 is feasible and should be mandated. Incentives, such as cash for the trade-in of the old vehicle and lower registration charges, for doing so would help.
Electric vehicles (EVs) do not cause air pollution. EVs are now giving far lower per km life cycle costs for two-, three- and four-wheelers and would rapidly gain market share if the rolling out of the charging infrastructure was accelerated.
The burning of biomass for cooking is the other factor contributing substantially to air pollution. Though the Ujjwala programme is taking the LPG stove and cylinder to all households, the poor are unable to do all their cooking with gas as they cannot afford to buy cylinders, with increasing LPG prices aggravating the problem. They continue to burn biomass. Subsidising cylinders for these households is the solution. The transformation in the quality of life of women and their health, which is the objective of Ujjwala, would only then be achieved. The subsidy should normally come from the budget. But if this is not feasible at present, then cross-subsidy within the oil and gas sector is an alternative. All households giving up the use of biomass for cooking would become a reality only if cylinders were made affordable for the poor, at say Rs 300 per cylinder. The case for subsidising cooking fuel is as strong as — if not stronger than — that of giving free electricity.
Tackling air pollution from industrial activity of small and micro enterprises also needs more attention. Much of this activity takes place in slums, unauthorised settlements and villages, especially within the National Capital Region. The use of clean energy has been prescribed. For it to be effective, the energy distribution companies should provide gas and electricity on demand to all without going into issues of legitimacy, such as land use and title.
A coordinated action of the Central and state government agencies in a process which provides for speedy decisions and the allocation of the requisite human, financial and logistical resources is essential. It could lead to a perceptible improvement within the year and the restoration of clean air in three to four years. The health consequences, especially for children, are far too severe to permit complacency.
