As air quality improves, experts advocate maintaining it even after lockdown

New Delhi
With a recent COVID Air Quality report showing pollution levels falling by dramatic levels in 10 major cities across the world, including Delhi and Mumbai, during the coronavirus lockdown, experts are now advocating the need to maintain levels even after the lockdown is over, pitching for reaching the target of 10 pc blending of biofuel ethanol in vehicular fuel faster.

India has a target to achieve 10 pc blend of ethanol in vehicle fuel by 2021. The current all-India is around 4.5 pc.

According to UNICA, a sound and clear policy regime in terms of pricing, procurement and blending can help achieve this target. “Given the vast experience in production of sugarcane, India has the potential to become the leader in ethanol production in Asia,” says the Brazilian industry association of ethanol producers.

A recent report published by Swiss company IQ Air looking at 10 key global cities that normally suffer from high levels of pollution, Los Angeles, New York City, London, Madrid, New Delhi, Mumbai, São Paulo, Wuhan, Seoul and Rome found significant falls in nearly all the locations.

The report compared measurements from ground-based monitoring stations regarding a type of pollutant known as PM2.5, the small inhalable particles emitted by various sources like vehicles and power plants.

According to the report, Delhi’s ‘unhealthy’ and worse rated days at 68% in 2019 came to 17% during lockdown and both Delhi and Mumbai experienced their best March air quality on record in 2020 (49.8 μg/m³ and 34.5 μg/m³ PM2.5 respectively).

While April 2020 is also on track to be the best April on record, the current trends should continue, as per the report.

Given the fact that usage of public transport is expected to decrease and more private vehicles will be on road, mandatory ethanol blend in vehicle fuel will be crucial to manage the pollution levels after the lockdown.

The blend of ethanol in gasoline, when adopted through clear and long-term public policies, can provide an instant decrease in GHG emissions and air pollution, because biofuel reduces 90% GHG emissions when compared with gasoline and doesn’t produce particulate residues, it says.

Brazil and India signed an MoU early this year to promote ethanol in India.

According to WHO, an average resident is exposed to air pollution that exceeds the WHO target for annual PM2.5 exposure by more than 500%.