Recently, Delhi's AQI had reached 437.
Digital Desk, New Delhi. Delhi and large areas of North India are in the grip of dense poisonous smog these days. Delhi's AQI had reached 437 at 4 pm on Tuesday, while it was 370 at 8 am on Wednesday. It is becoming difficult to breathe, schools are being closed and people are forced to remain confined to their homes.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy posted a post on social media, praising the clean air of Beijing and comparing it with the poor condition of Delhi. "Both China and India are well aware of the struggle with air pollution amid rapid urbanization," Chinese Embassy spokesperson Yu Jing wrote on Monday evening.
He shared pictures of AQI in Beijing and surrounding areas, where the air quality was moderate. Whereas the AQI of Delhi and NCR had reached 447, which falls in the dangerous category.
The result of a decade of continuous efforts
Yu Jing said that this difference is the result of China's continuous efforts in the last decade. "We'll be sharing a short series on how China tackled air pollution," he wrote.
This post quickly went viral on social media. Many users welcomed this offer and expressed concern over the poor air condition of Delhi.
How did Beijing tackle air pollution? 🌏💨Step 1: Vehicle emissions control 🚗⚡🔹 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… pic.twitter.com/E0cFp4wgsV
How did China win the pollution war?
China declared a 'war on pollution' in 2013 and launched the National Clean Air Action Plan. In this, regional targets were set and pressure was put on local officials to meet them. Special emphasis was laid on reducing the level of PM2.5.
Along with this, monitoring of AQI was strengthened. The most important step was to prevent any tampering of the data. The use of coal, especially for heating small houses, was a major cause of pollution. China shifted Beijing away from coal to gas-based power and heating plants.
China also tightened controls on vehicle emissions. New standards of fuel and vehicles were implemented. Also, public transport was improved so that people use buses and metro instead of private vehicles. The number of private cars was also controlled.
Also read: Delhi-NCR is suffocating due to pollution, how did the air become so poisonous in North India?