Delhi Government and IBM Join Hands to Reduce Air Pollution

The air pollution in Delhi has reached dizzying heights of late and has forced the government to take drastic measures to try and fix the issue. The AAP government lead by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has recently announced that from the first day of the New Year onwards, odd and even registration numbered private vehicles would only be allowed to operate on alternate days in the national capital for a test period of 15 days. Additionally, the government will now work with technology giant IBM to collate, scrutinize, and understand the statistics regarding the degree by which automobiles contribute to Delhi's smog problem.

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According to an Economic Times report, the technology conglomerate will work with state-run think tank Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC), for an initial stint of 3 months to study the city's abysmal air quality and furnish the government with a list of implementable measures to try and improve conditions. The report went on to state that IBM will collect air quality data from numerous different localities by installing sensors and using satellite monitoring technology to help reveal any other significant air-pollution contributors. IBM has also been helping Beijing deal with its own pollution crisis and besides Delhi, has recently partnered with 3 other cities; Baoding and Zhangjiakou in China, and Johannesburg in South Africa. The data analysis platform that IBM uses for such projects is called Green Horizons.

The two main contributors towards Delhi's deteriorating air pollution include concrete dust and vehicular exhaust fumes although recent images taken by NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) showed huge clouds of smoke over Delhi in November which emanated from the farm-rich state of Punjab. The quickest and most economical way for farmers to prepare their paddy fields for the next harvest is by burning the previous crop stubble, causing huge smoke clouds to drift towards and settle over the National Capital.

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Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of IBM Research India, Ramesh Gopinath, commented on what the collaboration aimed to achieve. He said that the partnership between DDC and IBM would "provide greater insight about the complex and dynamic nature of air pollution in the city and help identify sustainable methods for improving the outlook in the short and long term."

No longer is it just a short term issue that requires a quick fix. In-depth studies need to be performed in order devise solutions that are effective and sustainable. Delhi is a landlocked megacity that is currently experiencing a boom in its economy. In fact, the city has had to expand outwards consistently in order to sustain the huge influx of migrants and workers from smaller cities and villages. Hence, a combination of the steep rise in population and vehicles, dust caused by construction, increased industrial activity, and the smoke clouds from Punjab all contribute towards Delhi's terrible air quality. Cities like Mumbai don't struggle as much as Delhi as the constant sea breeze helps pushing out the polluted air. On the other hand, in Delhi, colder temperature draws in moist air which combines with the pollutant particles to create smog and the lack of any breeze means that the smog settles over the city and keeps accumulating over time.