Mumbai, Delhi, and Kolkata stand as the triumvirate of India’s megacities, each contributing uniquely to the country’s cultural, economic, and social tapestry. However, amidst the hustle and bustle, one pressing concern looms larger over the national capital – Delhi – than its counterparts, Mumbai and Kolkata: air pollution. Delhi has earned the dubious distinction of being one of the most polluted cities globally, with hazardous levels of particulate matter and pollutants permeating its atmosphere. Several factors contribute to this dire situation, including vehicular emissions, industrial activities, and agricultural practices. Delhi’s staggering population density amplifies these issues, as the sheer volume of vehicles and industrial operations intensifies the release of pollutants. Additionally, the city’s geographical location and weather patterns often trap pollutants, exacerbating the problem. In contrast, Mumbai and Kolkata grapple with their pollution challenges, but Delhi’s unique combination of population density, vehicular congestion, industrial output, and climatic conditions coalesce to create a perfect storm of air quality degradation. Addressing this crisis in Delhi demands a holistic approach that considers urban planning, transportation policies, and sustainable industrial practices to reclaim the breathability of the air in the nation’s capital.
Tag: Urbanization.
Decoding the Question:
- In the Introduction, start your answer with pollution and megacity.
- In Body, discuss the reasons behind this pollution.
- Conclude the answer with some positive suggestions.
Answer:
Pollution is one of the most constant phenomena in Indian cities. Though all the mega cities in India suffer from the problem of air pollution at alarmingly high levels due to growth in several personal vehicles, increasing populations, and effects of rapid urbanization, the problem is specifically more in Delhi as compared to the cities of Mumbai and Kolkata.
The reasons behind this soaring pollution are:
- Delhi is landlocked when compared to Mumbai and Kolkata so the level of pollution is more as the level of particulate matter and pollutants is not able to get discharged into the surrounding areas. Mumbai is surrounded by sea on three sides and Kolkata on two sides so the pollutants are discharged into the surrounding large water bodies and the level of pollution over these cities comes to be less when compared to Delhi.
- The highly variable winds near the coast may sweep pollutants out to sea on a land breeze but then bring them back with the sea breeze. The variations in sea breeze circulation also have a distinct effect on the pollutant transport and dispersion mechanisms in the coastal urban areas. Whereas in the case of Delhi, the principle of continentality occurs thus in winters high pressures develop due to which the pollutants remain near to the ground.
- Due to the landlocked nature of Delhi, during winter months fog occurs in Delhi which further adds to the problem of pollution.
- The next reason can be the increasing pollution from nearby industrial areas nearby of Delhi like the Faridabad, Okhla, and Noida industrial regions, whereas this is not the case with either Mumbai or Kolkata. The pollution level from the industries in nearby areas of Delhi has added more to the problem of Delhi.
- Moreover, the burning of paddy crops and other crops in Punjab and Haryana during winter months also is responsible for pollution, whereas no such incidents are reported in the other two cities.
Thus, the geographical location of Delhi which we cannot alter has been disadvantageous for Delhi. People’s consciousness and efforts can curb the man-made pollution in Delhi like pollution causing vehicles, burning of rice stubble, etc, and shall enable us to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
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