Delhi's Struggle Against Vehicular Air Pollution: CAG Audit Reveals Systemic Shortfalls

A CAG audit highlights inadequacies in Delhi's efforts to curb vehicular air pollution. It points out flaws in air quality monitoring, public transport deficiencies, and lack of enforcement against polluting vehicles. The report underscores the urgent need for strategic interventions to improve Delhi's air quality.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India released a performance audit report on vehicular air pollution in Delhi, exposing critical lapses in the measures taken by the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) to address the issue. The report was presented in the Delhi Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

The audit reveals that for 56% of the time from May 2015 to March 2021, Delhi's air quality ranged from 'Poor' to 'Severe'. The CAG report criticizes the placement of Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS), which do not comply with Central Pollution Control Board guidelines, resulting in potentially unreliable Air Quality Index values. Additionally, crucial pollutant data necessary for accurate monitoring was unavailable, and levels of certain pollutants, such as Lead, were not measured by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).

The report further highlights a lack of information on vehicular pollution sources due to no studies being conducted on this matter. GNCTD's efforts to promote public transport were deemed inadequate, evidenced by a significant bus shortage and inefficiencies in the bus system. Enforcement of emissions limits was also found lacking, with numerous irregularities in issuing Pollution Under Control Certificates (PUCCs) and insufficient use of modern vehicular pollution checking technology.

(With inputs from agencies.)