Impact of Rising Air Pollution in New Delhi: an Empirical Study

Home , Air pollution in India

International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology (IJMET) Volume 9, Issue 7, July 2018, pp. 71–81, Article ID: IJMET_09_07_008 Available online at http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJMET?Volume=9&Issue=7 ISSN Print: 0976-6340 and ISSN Online: 0976-6359

IMPACT OF RISING AIR POLLUTION IN NEW DELHI: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY

Dr. A Seema Assistant Professor (Senior), Department of Technology Management Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India

Aditya Sood, Simran Bhalla and Shantam Bajpai School of Electrical Engineering (SELECT), Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India

ABSTRACT The main purpose of this study is to highlight the problems faced by the residents of Delhi due to the rising Air Pollution by considering the variety of factors such as increasing population, depletion of green cover, vehicular emissions, etc. The study also enlists the various causes, effects and harmful Impacts of Air Pollution to both environment and humans. This study was conducted to examine the overall Impact of Air Pollution on the lives of individuals by conducting a survey and thereby obtaining a total of 400 responses from the people of Delhi which were used for further analysis. Using various statistical tools, the findings which were observed through Karl Pearson’s Correlation Test, a negative correlation was obtained between Population and Green Cover (r=-0.93), signifying an Inverse relationship between the two parameters. Further, Z-Test was performed which indicated that all people irrespective of gender get equally affected due to the rising air pollution. (Calculated value Z = 0.036 ~ 0.04, which is less than the table value). Also, a dependency between the number of construction sites and the increasing respiratory problems among the people (p=0.019624) was observed, by using the Chi-Square test. The mean value of humidity was calculated, by taking an average of the values obtained, with the mean value of humidity being 7.2225 (Out of a range of 0 to 10). The findings and suggestion given were based on the responses submitted by the residents of New Delhi of all age groups, occupations and mind-sets. Further necessary changes with the support of the government can make a huge difference in solving this problem of Air Pollution. Keywords: Air Pollution, Rising Air pollution, Delhi, India Cite this Article: Dr. A Seema, Aditya Sood, Simran Bhalla and Shantam Bajpai, Impact of Rising Air Pollution in New Delhi: An Empirical Study, International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology, 9(7), 2018, pp. 71–81 http://iaeme.com/Home/issue/IJMET?Volume=9&Issue=7

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1. INTRODUCTION Pollution in general means the contamination of various components of the Earth’s ecosystem due to the interference of humans. The various types of pollution are water pollution, air pollution, noise pollution etc. Recently air pollution status in many major cities around the world has undergone drastic increase in terms of levels of pollutants present in the air. In India, air pollution is measured by the content of certain pollutants like PM 2.5, PM 10, CO, Lead etc. A separate Air Quality Index (AQI) measures the level of pollution and quality of air. A guideline has been given by the World Health Organization to measure air pollution and a limit of the various particles present in air has been fixed. However, the limit to safe exposure for PM 2.5 as set by the Indian Air Quality Standard is up to 40 μg/m3 and a study recently conducted, reveals that 50% population living in 45% districts of India has been exposed to a concentration above the safe limit. According to the Ambient Air Pollution Database, released by WHO in the month of May 2016, 13 cities from India were parts of the world’s top 20 most polluted cities with Delhi being on top of the list along with other cities of India like Patna, Gwalior, and Raipur. Therefore target for the study will be Delhi. Till date measures taken by the government haven’t yielded satisfactory results and the various problems faced by the people living in Delhi need appropriate solutions. A number of factors have contributed to the rise in pollution levels – right from increasing number of vehicles, to burning of crops, depletion of green cover and the alarming increase in the population of the city. All these factors have led to harmful effects like respiratory diseases in children and elderly people, effect of meteorological conditions on air pollution, and many other long term problems in humans, animals and nature as well. Air pollution also leads to other harmful problems like low birth- weight, heart diseases, tuberculosis, decreases vision, asthma and cancers related to the throat [12]. Air pollution control measures taken by the government have shown little change in pollution levels however to reduce the levels even more, the already existing measures need to be strengthened and various factors like use of public transport, more frequent checking of Pollution, limiting the increase of migrants and appropriate health measures can help in improving the air quality in Delhi.

2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE The General Condition in India: The rising air pollution in India is a very serious issue which has been causing lot problems to the people as well as to the environment lately. The concentration of air pollutants has risen drastically due to various factors such as combustion of fuel wood and biomass, emissions from factories as well as vehicles, burning of crops, increase in the number of construction sites, cutting of trees, etc. This has resulted in polluting the air to such an extent that breathing clean air has become a royalty. The air quality of a region is governed by measuring the concentration of 4 major pollutants present in the air namely SO2, NO2, PM 10 and PM 2.5. As per the guidelines of WHO, the concentration levels of the four pollutants, mentioned above, have to be kept intact to keep the air clean and pollution free. The following table discusses the maximum concentration of the pollutants set by World Health Organization to ensure clean and healthy air. The table enlists the maximum concentration of pollutants in terms of µg/m3 measured annually and over a period of one hour that should be followed by every country in order to keep the pollution levels at a minimum level.

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Compound/ Concentration (Annual Concentration (1-hour mean Concentration (10 Pollutant mean in µg/m3 in µg/m3 min mean in µg/m3 SO 2 20 - 500 NO2 40 200 - PM 10 20 50 - PM 2.5 10 25 - India is a country housing 29 states and 7 union territories. The pollution levels of each state vary with the variation in the concentration levels of the pollutants present in the air thus resulting in a different AQI (Air Quality Index) for each state/ union territory. The following table discusses the average concentration of the four pollutants namely SO2, NO2, PM 10 and PM 2.5 (measured annually in terms of µg/m3) in four states and a union territory of India by considering various regions within the states/ union territories. The states/ union territories have been chosen at random. 3 3 3 3 State SO2 (µg/m ) NO2 (µg/m ) PM 10 (µg/m ) PM 2.5 (µg/m ) Delhi 6.88 66.8 251.9 118 Andhra Pradesh 6.76 22.92 76.04 106 Karnataka 3.29 30.38 88 43.41 Jharkhand 21.8 20.07 193.6 NA Chandigarh 6.69 22.53 108.03 123.4

As seen from the above table the concentration of SO2 is the lowest in Karnataka and the highest in Jharkhand. In 4 out of 5 places, the concentration of SO2 in the air is well within the standards set by World Health Organization, Jharkhand being the only one having a value greater than that set by WHO. However, the difference between the two values i.e. 21.8 and 20 is not that significant. Such a high level of SO2 concentration in Jharkhand is due to the large number of factories in areas like Jamshedpur and Dhanbad which are responsible for discharging high amounts of harmful compounds into the air. The concentration of NO2 of all the states is well within the set standard of 40 µg/m3, which is a positive aspect since high levels of NO2 can cause huge damage to the environment as well as to humans. The highest concentration of NO2 is possessed by Delhi whereas for Jharkhand it is the lowest which is quite surprising since Jharkhand houses a large number of factories. PM 10 (Particulate matter 10 micro-meters or less in diameter) is the highest for Delhi (251.9) and the lowest for Karnataka (88). However, it is very disappointing to see that neither of the states have PM 10 concentration within the prescribed limit. The concentration of PM 10 in Delhi is more than 10 times the set standard of 20µg/m3. This is very alarming since such a high concentration of PM 10 can cause many diseases in humans and harm the environment too. Following Delhi are Chandigarh and Jharkhand with concentrations of 193.6 and 108.03 respectively with Andhra Pradesh having the lowest. The concentration of PM 2.5 in Chandigarh is 123.4 µg/m3, for Delhi it is 118 µg/m3 whereas for Karnataka it is 43.41 µg/m3. However, neither of them has PM 2.5 concentration within the set standard. Exposure to PM 2.5 particles can cause various problems such as these particles can penetrate deep into the respiratory tract reaching the lungs. They can cause short term health effects like irritation in the nose, eyes and lungs, shortness of breath, etc.

3. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION ON THE ENVIRONMENT 1. Acid Rain: One of the most discussed effects of air pollution on the environment is the generation of acid rain. Water mixed with nitric and sulfuric acids precipitates causing acid rain. When fossil fuels are burnt, nitric oxide and sulphur oxide get released into the air. These acids then fall on the surface of the earth as dry or wet precipitation. Acid rain causes a lot of harm to the trees and acidifies the soil and water bodies making it difficult for fish and the wildlife to survive. It also degrades the buildings which our part of our national heritage like the Yellowing of Taj Mahal.

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2. Eutrophication: The discharge of various pollutants such as nitrogen in water bodies cause the algae to grow at a faster rate which makes it difficult for fish and the wildlife to survive. Emissions from power plants, cars, trucks, factories and other sources are great contributors to the amount of nitrogen entering into the water bodies. 3. Effect on Wildlife: Dangerous poisons noticeable all around, or kept on soils or surface waters, can affect natural life in various ways. Like people, creatures can encounter wellbeing issues on the off chance that they are presented to adequate groupings of air toxics after some time. Studies demonstrate that air toxics are adding to birth defects, reproductive failure, and ailment in creatures. Relentless harmful air toxins are of specific worry in oceanic environments. 4. Depletion of Ozone: The ozone layer that protects the earth from harmful UV radiations from the sun is gradually being depleted and destroyed by the emission of chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons, hydro-chlorofluorocarbons, and halons. These chemical are basically used as coolants, fire extinguishers, solvents, pesticides, and aerosol propellants in appliances such as refrigerators. The depletion of ozone layer and formation of an ozone hole can cause increase amounts of UV radiations reaching the earth’s surface and causing diseases like skin cancer, cataracts, and impaired immune systems. 5. Crop and forest Damage: Air pollution can affect crops and plant adversely in a variety of ways. The increased amounts of ground ozone can damage crops and thus affect their yield. The acid rain as discussed above can also damage crops. Forest damage can also occur due to the depletion of ozone layer.[2]

4. EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION ON THE HEALTH OF PEOPLE Taking in highly polluted air increases the risk of acquiring breathing problems like asthma, bronchitis, etc. It is proved that if a person if subjected to ground ozone for more than 6 hours at a stretch, then that person can suffer from lung inflammation. Carcinogens are pollutants that constitute a huge percentage of the total air pollutants and these can put people at a higher risk of cancer if exposed to a long duration. Air pollutants have the ability to greatly damage one’s immune, endocrine and reproductive systems. Increase in the level of particle pollution has caused an increase in the heart problems in people. Breathing Polluted air can cause neuropsychiatric complications, cardiovascular dysfunctions and many other long term complications. [7]

5. PROBLEM STATEMENT In order to curb the menace of air pollution that has engulfed Delhi in recent days, this study makes a tenacious attempt to identify the various aspects that are causing air pollution in Delhi. The rising traffic, which has increased by an astonishing value of 65% since 2003, has been a great contributor to the increasing level of air pollution which directly indicates the exponential rise of vehicles running on the roads of New Delhi. Recently the Air Quality index of New Delhi during Diwali rose to an all-time high of 978 which is approximately 10 times above the safe value which calls for stringent measures to reduce air pollution. In addition to this the burning of crops in the neighboring states of Delhi, the rise in the number of people who have started to smoke, burning of waste materials in the open, bursting of crackers during the festive season and people owning vehicles that don’t match the current Euro IV emission norms have also been a contributor to the deteriorating air quality in the capital city. The various parameters that have been considered in the study are Size of the City, Humidity, Temperature, Health Problems, Day to day problems faced by people, Number of Cars/ Type of Car, Annual Rainfall, Smokers, No. of construction sites, Greenery,

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Manual cleaning of roads, burning of waste and Electric Appliances. Using statistical tools like Z-Test, Karl Pearson’s Correlation, Chi- Square test and Percentage Analysis, the study will mainly concentrate on determining the correlation between pollution, its causes and its effects by taking into consideration the various parameters as listed above. Apart from this the study also highlights the improvements that can be done by enlisting the findings and suggestions and finally drawing a brief conclusion for this major problem.

6. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 1. To determine the relationship between the growth in population of Delhi and the reduction in the total green cover leading to an overall increase in air pollution. 2. To determine the chances of people getting equally affected due to air pollution irrespective of their gender. 3. To determine if the number of people suffering from respiratory problems depends on the number of construction sites in the city. 4. To determine the various possible causes of Air Pollution in Delhi.

7. RESEARCH DESIGN The research design adopted for this study is descriptive research. Descriptive research is a kind of study which is utilized to represent the respondents in a typical/specific way. Descriptive study is all about describing those who participate in helping with the research. For this study a survey type descriptive research was carried out wherein a questionnaire was handed out to people and as a result 400 responses were obtained.

8. SAMPLING METHODS For this study random selection of participants was restricted by the vast population of Delhi which further resulted in the inaccessibility of an extensive stratum of the total population. This research is based on the convenience sampling methodology which is a type of non- probability sampling.

9. DATA COLLECTION This study is based on primary as well as secondary data. Primary data refers to the data collected from documents and references such as interviews, questionnaires or surveys on a specific subject which is then assessed by the researcher. Secondary data on the other hand is information which has already been collected, assessed, sorted, tabulated and has already been subjected to a statistical treatment. This study thus includes primary data which was collected by generating a questionnaire (Google Form) and distributing to those available. The secondary data was collected from various research papers, newspaper articles and journals to know the extent of air pollution in New Delhi.

10. STATISTICAL TOOLS Firstly, percentage analysis was done on an array of variables. Apart from percentage analysis various other statistical tools were employed such as: * Z- Test * Chi- Square Test * Karl Pearson’s Correlation * Mean – Measure of Central Tendancy

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11. DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION

11.1. KARL PEARSON’S COEFFICIENT OF CORRELATION Table 1.1 Population and Green Cover

Population (X) Green Cover (Y) X2 Y2 XY 1 109 1 11881 109 5 127 25 16129 635 12 99 144 9801 1188 173 46 29929 2116 7958 209 19 42681 361 3971 ∑X= 400 ∑Y=400 ∑X2 = 72780 ∑Y2= 40288 ∑XY= 13861

Cov (x, y) = n (ΣXY) – (ΣX * ΣY) = 5(13861) - (400 * 400) = -90695 σx = (√n ΣX² - (ΣX ) ² = (√ 5 (72780) – (400) ²) = 451.55 σy = (√n ΣY² - ( ∑Y) ²) = (√ 5 (40288) – (20) ²) = 203.56 (x,y) = cov (x,y) / σx * σy = -90695/ (451.55*203.56) = -0.93 Thus, r = -0.93 INFERENCE: Since r = -0.93 there is a high negative correlation between Population and Green Cover. The population of Delhi is increasing day by day, which is clearly visible from the responses that were obtained as a result of the survey. 95.6% of the people think that the population of Delhi is very high. Chronologically, the population of Delhi is currently 25 million, making it the second most populous city after Mumbai. People from various cities like Haryana, UP, Bihar, etc. come to Delhi in search of jobs and settle here. Due to this many parks and grounds of Delhi have been converted into buildings and malls due to the steep rise in population over the past few years. Now, as the no. of trees reduces, the pollution increases since trees are greatly involved in controlling the amount of green-house gases in the atmosphere.

11.2. Z-TEST Table 1.2 Gender and the Extent to which People get affected due to Air Pollution Getting affected due to air pollution Males (X1) X12 Females (X2) X22 (level) 1 0 0 0 0 2 13 169 9 81 3 39 1521 30 900 4 65 4225 59 3481 5 81 6561 104 10816 ∑X1=198 ∑X12= 12476 ∑X2=202 ∑X22= 15278

Null Hypothesis (Ho) - There is no significant difference between gender and the extent to which people are getting affected due to air pollution. Alternative Hypothesis (H1) - There is significant difference between gender and the extent to which people are getting affected due to air pollution. Mean X1= (0+13+39+65+81)/5= 39.6 Mean X2= (0+9+30+59+104)/5= 40.4 S1= √ ((X12/N1)-(X1/N1)2) = 30.44 S2= √ ((X22/N2)-(X2/N2)2) = 37.72 Z = (Mean X2 – Mean X1) / √ (S1² / N1) + (S2² / N2) Z = (40.4 – 39.6) / √ ((926.59 /5) + (1422.79 /5)) Calculated value Z = 0.036 ~ 0.04

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Level of significance = 5% Table value @ 5% = 1.96 INFERENCE - Since the Calculated value of Z test is lesser than Table value, we accept null hypothesis (Ho). Therefore, null hypothesis (Ho) is being accepted that there is no significant difference between gender and extent to which people are getting affected due to air pollution. The Z- test thus indicates that all the people irrespective of gender get equally affected due to the rising air pollution. Air Pollution is a common phenomenon which can affect anyone be it a male or a female. It affects all irrespective of age, color or gender. Everyone breathes in air thus each and every person is equally likely to be affected by the quality of air that enters into the body. However it is seen that it can affect young children and elders more intensely than others.

11.3. CHI-SQUARE TEST For the study a 2 x 2 contingency table has been set up, and using the collected data, a Chi- Square Test was performed. This Chi-Square Test has 0.05 or 5% level of significance. Chi-Square test - Formula X2c = (Oi – Ei)2/Ei Oi= Observed Value Ei=Expected Value Calculating the Estimated Value: Ei= (Marginal Row Value x Marginal Column Value)/Grand Total Checking the dependency of Respiratory Problems on Construction Sites Null Hypothesis (Ho): Respiratory Problems are independent of the number of Construction Sites. Alternative Hypothesis (H1): Respiratory Problems are caused due to number of Construction Sites. Ei= (Marginal Row Value x Marginal Column Value)/Grand Total E1= (400 x401)/800 =200.5 E2= (400 x 401)/800 =200.5 E3= (400 x 399)/800 =199.5 E4= (400 x 399)/800 =199.5 X2c = ∑ (Oi – Ei)2/Ei X2c = [(217-200.5)2/200.5] + [(184-200.5)2/200.5] + [(183-199.5)2/199.5] + [(216- 199.5)2/199.5] = 1.36 + 1.36 + 1.36 + 1.36 = 5.445 Degree of freedom = (Number of rows - 1) x (Number of Columns - 1) = (2-1) (2-1) = 1 Table 1.3 Chi Square Test

Construction sites Respiratory Problems Marginal Row Tools around your house 217 (E1=200.5) 184 (E2=200.5) Yes 401 [1.36] [1.36] 183 (E3=199.5) 216 (E4=199.5) No 399 [1.36] [1.36] Marginal Column Tools 400 400 800 (Grand Total)

The Chi-Square Statistic is 5.445. The p-value is 0.019624(through Chi-Square Table). The result is significant at p < 0.05.Hence, the Null Hypothesis (H0) is false, making the

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Alternative Hypothesis (H1) right, proving that the Respiratory Problems are dependent on the Construction sites. INFERENCE - According to the obtained results, we observe that there is a dependency between the respiratory problems and the number of construction sites in Delhi. Construction sites are greatly involved in causing air pollution in Delhi. Various construction activities like land clearing, demolition, using diesel engines, burning and working with toxic substances contribute to air pollution. The above listed construction activities release large amounts of dust in the air which can affect large distance over a long period of time (Jennifer Gray, 2010). Air pollution occurs when the toxic vapors and other harmful chemicals that are used on construction sites are released into the air, deteriorating its quality.

11.4. MEAN To calculate the mean level of humidity in New Delhi Table 1.4 To Calculate The Mean Level of Humidity In New Delhi Level of Humidity (x) No. of People (f) x*f 1 2 2 2 6 12 3 13 39 4 26 104 5 37 185 6 42 252 7 60 420 8 97 776 9 71 639 10 46 460

∑xf= 2889 ∑f= 400 Mean= ∑xf ÷ ∑f = 2889 ÷ 400 = 7.2225 Thus, Mean= 7.2225 INFERENCE - According to the people of Delhi the mean level of humidity is 7.2225 which is quite high.

12. FINDINGS OF THE STUDY • 300 people out of 400 prefer electric vehicles. Keeping in view the government’s plan to convert 25% of the vehicles running on Delhi roads to electric it is a positive sign to see such kind of demand for electric, which in turn will reduce the pollution levels in the city. Most of the younger generation in today’s time prefers hybrid vehicles primarily due to the fact that they get extra kilometers on top of the kilometers given by diesel or petrol vehicles when the car is running on full tank. Apart from this the younger generation wants cars that have state of the art features like touch screen control and smartphone companions in their vehicles and generally hybrid or purely electric vehicles come packed with these technologies. • For almost 59.1% people, their locality in Delhi has mostly buildings, but for 16.3% people there is enough greenery in their area. However, 24.8% people were neutral in this aspect. This is because the city’s green cover shows a very disturbing trend. Delhi's vegetation has seen an overall decline since 1986. The green cover is also increasingly fragmented. The highest fragmentation is being seen on the periphery where afforestation work is being conducted to compensate for the loss of trees to urban development projects. For instance, the green cover in Delhi's core area in 1986 was about 64.68%, but it reduced to about 43.98% in 2010. Green cover has drastically decreased in Delhi due to afforestation and the depleting green cover adds

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to pollution levels in the city. A large number of trees have been cut down for construction purposes and thus 59.1% people think that their locality consists of mostly buildings. • High percentage of people in Delhi wear pollution masks when they go outside which signifies the deteriorating Air quality index. According to our survey most of the people in Delhi are being affected due to the rising air pollution and for people with existing respiratory problems they should start taking special care of themselves by taking medical inhalers.N95 are the masks prescribed by doctors all around Delhi. The real question is that if the people of Delhi can afford a pollution mask. As per our research a pollution mask comes in the range of 500-2500.The high class people generally travel by cars whereas the middle class and lower strata of society either travel by 2 wheelers or by public transport hence are more prone to being affected by the air pollution in Delhi. The least that the pollution masks company can do is to make the price of the facemasks affordable to everyone as being protected from the air surrounding Delhi is a right everyone possesses. Sometimes people without even realizing forget to clean the filters attached to their facemasks and as a result it is equivalent to breathing the toxic air of Delhi. Certain measures still need to be taken by the Delhi government to make the usage of pollution masks in Delhi a success. • The number of people using plastic bags in their day to day lives supersedes the number of people not using plastic bags. We know that plastic is a waste material and per kg of burning of plastic produces 6kgs of Carbon dioxide which again is hazardous and can rapidly deteriorate the quality of air. Inspite of banning plastic bags in Delhi, around 250 people out of 400 still use plastic bags on a regular basis which is quite concerning because getting rid of plastic bags means burning them which is a very serious issue and one of the greatest causes of air pollution. The reason why people use plastic bags is just because it is cheap and light to carry and readily available at stores all over. • Out of 400 people, 54.3% people have a construction site near their locality and 45.8% people don’t have a construction site. The population in Delhi is increasing at a very fast rate due to immigrants coming and settling in Delhi. Due to this there is an increased need of more and more housing complexes in order to accommodate these places. The growth in population is also directly related to the increase in the number of offices being built to provide employment opportunities. However constructions sites too are involved in polluting the air. All construction activities produce high level of dust which can effects large distance over long time (Jennifer Gray, 2010). • Carpooling is defined as the sharing of car journeys so that more than one person travel together. Carpool prevents the necessity for others to drive to a place on their own. Carpooling saves money, reduces congestion on roads and highways, saves fuel and helps us develop relationships with our friends, neighbours and co-workers. • The Z- test indicates that all the people irrespective of gender get equally affected due to the rising air pollution. Air Pollution is a common phenomenon which can affect anyone be it a male or a female. It affects all irrespective of age, colour or gender. Everyone breathes in air thus each and every person is equally likely to be affected by the quality of air that enters into the body. However it is seen that it can affect young children and elders more intensely than others. According to the obtained results, we observe that there is a dependency between the respiratory problems and the number of construction sites in Delhi. Construction sites are greatly involved in causing air pollution in Delhi. Various construction activities like land

http://iaeme.com/Home/journal/IJMET 79 [email protected] Impact of Rising Air Pollution in New Delhi: An Empirical Study clearing, demolition, using diesel engines, burning and working with toxic substances contribute to air pollution. The above listed construction activities release large amounts of dust in the air which can effect large distance over long time (Jennifer Gray, 2010). In addition, Jennifer (2010) also stated that diesel is one of the most significant emissions of a lot of toxic gases. Air pollution occurs when the toxic vapours and other harmful chemicals that are used on construction sites are released into the air, deteriorating its quality.

13. SUGGESTIONS OF THE STUDY • High percentage of people in Delhi wear pollution masks when they go outside which signifies the deteriorating Air quality index. According to our survey most of the people in Delhi are being affected due to the rising air pollution and for people with existing respiratory problems they should start taking special care of themselves by taking medical inhalers. N95 are the masks prescribed by doctors all around Delhi. The real question is that if the people of Delhi can afford a pollution mask. As per our research a pollution mask comes in the range of 500-2500.The least that our government can do is to outsource the making of high quality facial masks and provide it to the general public at a nominal and affordable price. • Population in Delhi: Delhi became the world’s second most populated country in the year 2014 and this has led to an disruption in the socio – ecological balance in the city. Other problems like slums and posh localities existing together, poor drinking water, increasing pollution because of vehicular emissions and the rise in wastewater pollution have also been seen. To solve this problem infrastructure has to be improved, waste management is necessary and most importantly a restriction in the number of vehicles owned by a family has to be made to stop the increasing population from directly affecting the rise in pollution. • The consequences of depletion in green cover are many – right from increasing pollution to ground water depletion, frequent flooding and an overall increase in temperature. Plantation drives if organized in schools, colleges or even offices can ensure widespread awareness in order to protect trees and thus curbing air pollution levels. The forest department should come up with various agendas for increasing the number of trees and RWA’s can ensure that proper greenery is maintained and that no sort of construction activity in the locality disrupts the green cover • Emissions from vehicles are the major reason for air pollution in the city and many families with 4 members own more than two vehicles. The city has a population of 20 million and has almost 10 million vehicles. This has led to enormous air pollution and poor health of the residents. A temporary ban on the number of vehicles is not the solution to this huge problem but a long term agenda like restricting the number of cars a family can own is the need of the hour to not only reduce air pollution but to also stop traffic congestion and thus preventing the rise in various respiratory diseases too. • Construction sites in the United States use cloth walls which are used while laying down the foundation of the building as during this time there is a lot of dust in the air caused due to the excessive use of machines. • The use of plastic bags needs to stop as they are a health hazard, they cause choking in animals (if consumed), de-fertilise the soil (if buried), produce toxic gases which lead to depletion of Ozone layer and also cause breathing problems in human beings (if burnt). We need to start using alternative methods such as cloth bags or recycled paper bags.

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14. CONCLUSION The rising Air Pollution in Delhi is a matter of grave concern since it affects everyone irrespective of their gender or age. Air pollution affects people more than anticipated and has a lot of ill effects. It affects not only humans but also the environment as a whole. The whole ecology is affected due to excessive air pollution. The current level of air pollution in Delhi is off the charts and needs to be controlled as soon as possible. With the increasing number of immigrants in Delhi there has been an increase in construction sites to accommodate people by making housing complexes and offices. This has had an adverse effect on land and air as a whole as the increasing deforestation is leading to air pollution and thus further leading to global warming. This rise in population is also the reason for the increase of vehicles in the city which is directly leading to air pollution. Not only this but usage of plastic bags instead of jute bags is creating more problem since burning of plastic causes an increase in the concentration of pollutants in the air. Increasing forest fires and crop burning by the farmers in the neighboring states is also causing havoc to the overall stabilization of air. Hence all these practices need to be controlled but before this we as citizens must come up with various ways to curb this problem of increasing air pollution along with support from the Government.

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