A window for inter-state cooperation, to breathe easier

Over the years, the Delhi and Punjab governments have faced sharp criticism over the issue of air pollution. But the annual inter-state blame games have only served as a distraction, even as residents of both states continue to breathe polluted air. Now, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ruling both Delhi and Punjab, cooperation for clean air should be the mantra for both the state governments.

While Delhi dominates the discourse on air pollution in India, Punjab is home to nine of the country’s 132 most polluted cities as identified by the Central Pollution Control Board. In 2019, Delhi and Punjab together faced an economic loss of around Rs 18,000 crore due to worsening air pollution. Therefore, by collaborating for clean air, both the states can ensure improvement in citizen welfare and labor productivity.

what needs to be done

So, how can the two states cooperate?

First, those in charge of both the states should talk. Setting aside their dissent over the contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s air pollution, states should gain a common understanding about the sources that pollute the region. This will lead to solutions that are accountable to both governments.

Second, to create a platform for the exchange of knowledge. A Common Knowledge Center should be set up in both the States to facilitate mutual studies on possible solutions to the developmental challenges. Punjab would particularly benefit from such a center given the many measures already taken by the Delhi government to improve the air quality in Delhi. For example, Delhi has 40 continuous air quality monitoring stations. Punjab, on the other hand, has only eight continuous monitoring centres, while source assessment studies are underway for eight of its nine non-attainment cities. Air quality level information and source assessment studies are important in developing long-term strategies for pollution mitigation.

using proven solutions

Third, collaborate to execute proven solutions. Both states can develop solutions that can improve air quality. They may also jointly institutionalize a task force comprising experts from state-run institutions to administer these solutions and assess their impact. This will ensure wide acceptance of the proposed solution, which has not been the case in the past. For example, the Pusa Bio-Decomposer (developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute), touted as a solution to stubble burning by the Delhi government, has received mixed reactions from farmers. Also, decomposer makes sense only for early maturing varieties of paddy, as even with decomposer, it will take 25 to 30 days for the stubble to decompose. Therefore, it is of little use in high-burn districts like Sangrur in Punjab, where late maturing paddy varieties predominate.

market for various crops

Fourth, creating a market for diverse crop products. The continuation of stubble burning in Punjab and its contribution to toxic winter pollution in Delhi cannot be denied. Moving away from the ‘Paddy-Wheat cycle’ through crop diversification is a sure shot solution to stubble burning. But, the lack of an assured market for agricultural products other than wheat and paddy has acted as a deterrent. For years, the AAP government has been playing with the idea of ​​starting ‘Aam Aadmi Kitchen’ in Delhi. These community kitchens could potentially include crops other than wheat and paddy in the food delivered. The expansion of such kitchens in both the states may indicate demand and an assured market for diverse crop products.

Lastly, both the State Governments should emphasize the need to extend inter-state cooperation to other states in the Indo-Gangetic plains in separate inter-state fora. One such forum is the Northern Zonal Council with representations from Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Both Delhi and Punjab should use this platform to highlight the need for coordination with neighboring states to reduce the pollution crisis.

AAP has an opportunity to show political leadership towards improving air quality in Delhi and Punjab. However, while collaborative solutions do exist, not everything can be achieved this winter. This year, both the state governments should focus on identifying clear metrics which they will use to evaluate their performance in the coming years. With a collaborative action plan, we can be optimistic about cleaner air in the years to come.

Tanushree Ganguly is Program Lead at the Council for Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), an independent non-profit policy research institute.