Can Delhi Take The Beijing Route To Beat Air Pollution? Tips From China To Chandni Chowk

[Spartan]

Every year, as the mercury dips, Delhi braces for its fight with air pollution. With various levels of curbs and precautions, the capital city gets temporary respite, only for the battle to resume in months.

But there is one country that has managed to win this fight – China.

How did China do it? Can the model be adopted for Delhi? News18 explains

Key steps in China’s fight against air pollution

The spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in India, Yu Jing, has been sharing tips on how Beijing fought a battle similar to New Delhi.

STEP 1: Jing said vehicle emissions control was key. She listed the measures that could be replicated.

• Adopt ultra-strict regulations like China 6NI (on par with Euro 6)
• Phase-out retired old, high-emission vehicles
• Curb car growth via license-plate lotteries and odd-even / weekday driving rules
• Build one of the world’s largest metro and bus networks
• Accelerate the shift to electric mobility
• Work with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region on coordinated emissions cuts.

STEP 2: Jing said industrial restructuring is key to the fight. She elaborated on how China did it.

• Shut down or remove 3000+ heavy industries. Relocating Shougang, one of China’s largest steelmakers, alone cut inhalable particles by -20%.
• Transform vacated factories into parks, commercial zones, cultural and tech hubs. E.g. The former Shougang site became 2022 Winter Olympics venue.
• Relieve non-capital functions by relocating wholesale markets, logistics hubs and some educational & medical institutions.
• Coordinate regional integration by shifting general manufacturing to Hebei, while retaining high-value R&D and services in Beijing.

In November, too, Ying had outlined key policies that helped Chinese cities achieve some of the fastest improvements in air quality globally. She had said shutting down of small and inefficient coal boilers, relocating or closing highly polluting industrial plants, enforcing stricter emission standards for heavy industries and vehicles helped.

She also stressed on expansion of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower, using satellite data and real-time monitoring systems to track air quality, strictly punishing non-compliance and data falsification.

“Both China and India know the struggle with air pollution amid rapid urbanization. While the challenge remains complex, China’s sustained efforts over the past decade have delivered noticeable improvements," Yu wrote in a recent post on X.

 

[Spartan]

is Delhi public ready to accept these changes if imposed by Govt... ?

thats the million dollar question.

[krishnaaa]

1 minute ago, Spartan said:

is Delhi public ready to accept these changes if imposed by Govt... ?

thats the million dollar question.

Yes. Pollution in Delhi is a culture problem.

[Marsmangalodu]

Idi india lo chesthe gola gola chestaru

[enigmatic]