How Delhi can do better than odd-even

After the 15-day odd-even trial, we need to take the fight to clean Delhi’s foul air to the next level. TOI sets out 10 crucial measures the government must enforce to help the national capital breathe easy, and show the way for other seriously polluted cities. How to do better than odd-even.
1 TRAINS NOT ENOUGH, BUILD MORE STATIONS During the odd-even trial, Delhi Metro saw daily ridership jump by 2L. Metro has 160 stations in Delhi-NCR. Two new corridors will add 108 stations. These will be operational by end-2016.

Despite expansion, Metro remains for many in Delhi an incovenient public transport. It's because either a station is too far, or changes are required to reach a destination. Accessibility to stations is key. Globally, 400m is considered the ideal `walk radius' -the distance people are willing to walk to a Metro station. Here many can't use the Metro because lastmile connectivity is an issue. The network's coverage must minimise last-mile distances, and work with govt for solutions to commuters so they cover that last mile easily and safely. Simply increasing the number of trains isn't enough.

Distance between stations is crucial. The global norm is one station every 600m, that's about half the 1.2km average distance between stations in Delhi. New stations may not be feasible on existing lines, but for new ones, DMRC must stick to the global norm.


2 FIXING DTC ALONE CAN KEEP 16L CARS OFF ROADS A poorly maintained fleet and short age of drivers means 21% scheduled trips aren't operated, says a CSE report. Yet, at 35L passengers daily , DTC buses carry about 10L more passengers than Delhi Metro. Without investing funds and by drafting in more cluster buses utilization of fleet can be vastly improved. Add to that completing scheduled trips and eliminating missed trips, 25L more pas sengers can use buses daily. This would help remove 16L cars from roads, says CSE. Delhi govt runs about about 6,000 buses. But utilisation during 2014-15 was 86%; dismal compared to what other state transport bodies achieved: 95% in Bangalore and Chandigarh. Further, govt can give employees commuter subsidies for public transport or carpooling. At any given time, at least 400 to 500 DTC buses stand in depots unutilized, either for poor maintenance or missed trips

3 & 4 ENFORCE WASTE DISPOSAL NORMS, & PUNISH BUILDING-RULES VIOLATORS Delhi produces 8,360 tonnes per day of municipal solid waste. It has only one treatment plant. This too runs on technology that's environment-unfriendly. The illegal burning of just a fraction -2% to 3% -of this waste contributes to emissions of 2,000kgday PM10, 1,800kgday PM2.5. Strict enforcement of the Rs 5,000 penalty for burning municipal waste is key , as are rolling out the measures to deal with collection, segregation and disposal of solid waste. In summer, dust contrib utes over 26% to PM10 and PM2.5 (4% in winter).

Over 65 tonnes daily is the PM10 burden from road dust. Simple things like covering scaffolding, hosing roads can slash dust load. Vacuum-cleaning roads, paving footpaths help control dust, as do growing plants and grass. A crackdown to ensure compliance of MoEF's 2010 rules is a must at construction sites. The penalty of Rs 50,000 must be enforced. Especially because the MoEF's steps are commonsensical: Cover trucks ferrying material, cover debris, sprinkle water to control construction dust among other measures.

5 FIX EARLY DEADLINE FOR 104 CNG FILLING STATIONS Only 270 filling stations for 5L registered CNG cars in Delhi-NCR is sim ply not enough. Since Jan 1, govt says 60,000 cars have converted to CNG. More CNG filling stations is a priority, as is the need to increase the pressure of gas at existing stations. Since from March 2016, all the estimated 80,000 Delhli-NCR cabs must run on CNG, a deadline must be fixed for the 104 filling stations planned in NCR. Fewer stations in NCR means cars heading to Delhi for refills. Further, in Delhi CNG costs Rs 37.20kg while in NCR, it's Rs 42.60kg. Do away with the differential pricing. Moreover, there are only 21 CNG retro-fitting stations in Delhi-NCR.


7 ENSURE SPEEDY BS-VI NORMS EURO O ne of the challenges going for ward for India will be the switch to Bharat Stage-VI norms equivalent to the Euro-VI standard by 2020. Oil companies are learnt to have put in Rs 30,000 crore between 2005 and 2010 to upgrade to BS-IV but the next switch is likely to come as a financial and technical problem. While the government says oil PSUs will invest over Rs 20,000 crore in the upgrade, automakers are gearing up for the quantum leap from BS-IV to BS-VI.

8 MAKE COMPLIANCE A REALITY

NCR must follow the Delhi model of enforcing a substantial onetime parking charge from buyers of new cars.The NDMC parking charge stands at Rs 8,000 payable on purchase of cars that cost up to Rs 4 lakh. Set on November 2015, the rates for cars costing more than Rs 4 lakh are 4% to 15% higher. The apex court ban on NCR registration of diesel cars and SUVs of 2,000cc and above must be implemented along with the court's directive to double green compensation charge for loaded trucks entering the city .

9 REVIEW POWER PLANTS Now that the power minis try is leaning towards including buying power generated from solid waste by amending the Electricity Act, 2003, Delhi govt should push through its idea of converting its coal-based thermal power plant Rajghat Power House, lying in disuse for over 8 months now, into a waste-to-energy plant. Delhi govt must speed up the closure of the Badarpur thermal power plant -pegged as one of the country's most polluting thermal power plants.The defunct Indraprastha power plant is supposed to be converted into a groundbased solar power system.
10 SHIFT TANDOORS, HOMES TO LPG Coal & flyash are the largest contributors to PM 10 and PM 2.5. In Delhi, 10% families use biomass to cook. Shift them to LPG. Average coal consumption in tandoors is 30kgday . Banning tandoors in the 9,000 eateries that use them can additionally help slash pollution from coal.