Delhi Pollution: A Melancholy

Delhi - The Capital State of India continues to be sheathed in a thick black stocking of mist and grime for the Fourth Consecutive Day.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board  (CPCB) Official, there was a Ground-Level Dust Storm in the Western part of the Country that increased drastically coarser particles in the Air, causing a higher stake in pollution levels in Delhi.

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Assorted numbers of Areas in Delhi are grappling with perilous Air Quality where the Pollution Levels catapulted to the “Severe” mark today.  

As per the real-time updates of the Air Quality Index, Pollution levels in areas like Sukhdev College, Jahangir Puri, Anand Vihar, Paschim Vihar, and Punjabi Bagh have been recorded above 700.

The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology data revealed, the absorption of the Dust Particles known as PM (Particulate Matter) 10 (Particles with a diameter of less than 10mm) mounted to a frightening 1263 Micrograms per Cubic Meter, being consequentially exorbitant than the safety level of 50 Micrograms per Cubic Meters. 

Such statistics prompt an urgency to declare a far-reaching health warning and advice the general public to avoid staying out for longer duration unless requisite, especially Individuals with Respiratory Disorders.

Government In Action

While the Capital scuffles to breathe, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, ordered to cease all Construction Activities from 15^th June to 17^th June 2018 as a measure to curb Air Pollution. 

A Statement issued by Raj Niwas, expounding that the Agencies hooked in Construction Activities like Delhi Metropolitan Railway Corporation, National Building Construction Corporation, National Highway Authority of India, Municipal Corporations of Delhi, Etc., shall stringently impose the necessary Dust Control Measures at their respective sites/areas.

Further, all the Concerned Departments/Agencies are directed to ensure compliance of the following decisions in addition to the provisions Graded Response Plan already enforced;

• Municipal Corporations, Delhi Pollution Control Committee  (DPCC) and all the Constructions Agencies are directed to enforce directions issued by DPCC vide order F. No. DPCC/PA to MS/2018/89-109 dated 14.06.2018 to stop all Construction in Delhi
• Municipal Corporations and PWD are directed to intensify Mechanical Road Sweepings and Sprinkling.
• Municipal Corporations, DDA, and SDMs are directed to strictly enforce the prohibition on Open Burning of Garbage, Plastics, and Leaves, Etc.
• Municipal Corporations, DPCC and PWD are directed to impose the Fine/ Penalties on all roads Constructions Agencies/ Contractors, where there are Inadequate Dust Control Measures.

Pollution Impact on Businesses In Delhi

The Exacerbating Pollution is deranging businesses as usual. City Employers find it quite cumbersome to retain the Top-Level Executives and the High-End Skilled Workforce, as they either take long leaves or choose to migrate to less polluted cities in order to avoid any Health Ailments due to the perennial issue of Delhi’s Air Pollution.

Considering Business Operations, the above translates to the increased difficulty in procuring the Top-End Workforce in Delhi-NCR.

An Inefficient work culture could be witnessed due to the dwindled workforce during the stretch of dire pollution levels due to Employee Illness and Absenteeism.

There shall be increased costs for the Air Purification Systems to be installed at the Office Place.

While it is quite arduous to compute the Impact on Economic Output Specifically on Delhi, The World Bank estimated in 2016 that the Air Pollution in India Cost the Country around US$80 Billion per year, roughly 5.7 per cent of the country’s GDP.

Delhi feels the weight of these costs as a primary producer of goods and services in the country, and a leading destination for FDI

This is extenuated by the fact that the Delhi-NCR hosts a high number of International Delegations, Multinational Corporation Offices, and serves as an established IT-BPM hub – a Labor Intensive Industry, whose labour force puts a high luxury on living conditions.

Industries Categorization

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee  (DPCC) has categorized the consent for MSME under two categories — 194 types of green category MSME,

which comprises of Enterprises with low pollution levels and required “Simplified” consent from the DPCC.

The 2^nd category includes 393 types of moderately polluting enterprises, which include enterprises ranging from automobile servicing and repair stations to hotels.

The red category of enterprises, which are categorized as heavily polluting are very few in Delhi and strict laws exist to monitor those.

Delhi Air Pollution Consent Policy

Delhi has been declared as an Air Pollution Control Area, under sub-section (1) of Section (19) of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act vide notification No. GSR 106(E) dated 20-02-1987.  This tells that no industrial plant (any plant used for any business or trade purposes) can emit any air pollutant (any solid, liquid or gaseous substance including noise) into the atmosphere without the prior consent of the State Pollution Control Board/Committee, as the case may be.

It also indicates that no person shall, without the previous consent of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee establish or operate an industrial plant in Delhi.

Giving effect to this notification, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee issues "Consent to Establish" to any industrial plant before its establishment and "Consent to Operate" before the plant starts its operation.

Any unit defined above should obtain consent to establish before setting up the plant. If the activity is permissible in Delhi, the unit should apply for consent in the prescribed format, available in Delhi Pollution Control Committee at the cost of Rs.100/-, or downloaded from the website. The duly filled application may be submitted with the following documents:

• Demand Draft
• Affidavit in prescribed format duly attested by the notary public 
• Application Form
• Project Report giving details of the unit, proposed capital investment, various activities, no’s of workers & employees, Manufacturing Process in Detail with flow chart, raw materials, products & byproducts (with the quantity per day), details of water consumption & discharge, source of wastewater/ emissions and proposed pollution control system/ measures (details of design & constitute units), as applicable,
• Lay out plan
• Location Plan
• Proof of possession of plot/ allotment letter/ lease deed. In the case of rental premises, rent agreement and ownership proof of premises.

The consent to establish will be granted by DPCC within a period of four months after the receipt of the application for consent, the State Board shall, by order in writing, and for reasons to be recorded in the order, grant the consent applied for subject to such conditions and for such period as may be specified in the order, or refuse consent.

Consent to Operate/ Renewal 

Shall be applied before commissioning of the unit in the prescribed application format available in Delhi Pollution Control Committee at the cost of Rs. 100 or downloaded from the web site.  The duly filled application may be submitted with the following documents:

GREEN Operate/Renewal:

• Demand Draft 
• Affidavit in prescribed format duly attested by the notary public
• Certificate from Chartered Accountant (w.r.t. column 5 of consent form)
• Noise Monitoring Report, if applicable
• Proof of CETP Membership in the name & address of the unit, if applicable
• Original / Copy of previous consent order
• Others

ORANGE Operate/Renewal:

• Demand Draft 
• Affidavit in prescribed format duly attested by the notary public
• Certificate from Chartered Accountant (w.r.t. column 5 of consent form)
• Manufacturing Process in Detail with flow chart
• List of raw materials used, products manufactured and by-products generated during the process with maximum quantity per day
• Adequacy report of ETP, if applicable
• Adequacy report of ECS, if applicable
• Noise Monitoring Report++ , if applicable
• ETP effluent analysis report+, if applicable
• Stack monitoring report(s) +, if applicable
• Proof of CETP Membership in the name & address of the unit, if applicable
• Original / Copy of previous consent order
• Other

Latest Test Report - Not more than three months old, from the date of submission of the consent application. 

Latest Noise Monitoring Report - Not more than six months old, from the date of submission of the consent application

Consent to Operate is to be granted only after the Delhi Pollution Control Committee is satisfied that the unit has completed all other formalities such as MCD license, Power-Water connection, CETP Membership (where CETP exist) etc. and has installed the requisite Pollution Control Devices.

Consent is granted by the Consent Management Committee (to see the composition of the committee) of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee. Further DPCC in its meeting held on 09.01.07 has decided to give consent to green category industries for 10 yrs. and to continue to issue consent for orange category industries for three years to keep a check on their pollution-creating capacity.

Henceforth, OPCC shall accept applications for consent under the green category along with a consent fee for 10 yrs. In case of existing pending applications, consent shall be issued for 5 yrs. subject to extendable for a further 5 yrs. on submission of an additional fee for 5yrs.

Please follow the link delineated below for further information:

Prime Minister on Air Pollution

Until we focus on our lifestyle and get the world to focus on it, we will not succeed despite all other measures being taken, said Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Worsening air quality is putting many lives in danger and to address the issue Prime Minister Narendra Modi has finalised Rs 637-crore National Clean Air Programme to improve the air quality in India.