Pollution in Delhi has become a serious health emergency.
True, big ticket measures are needed to deal with the pollution in Delhi. But some small measures, which do not cost any money and are doable, can be given priority. Thirty five percent of pollution is caused by road dust. A part of that is caused by wrong method of sweeping the roads.
Following small steps can be taken to reduce dust pollution:
In Residential Areas
Change the sweeping time from early morning to 11 am
In early morning, pollution is at the peak. Children are going to schools. People are going for their walk and to buy for their daily needs. Dust from sweeping at that time directly affects the pedestrians. Early morning, cars are parked on both sides of the street. Therefore, proper sweeping is not possible. By 11 am, most of the cars are gone and thorough sweeping can be done.
Sweeping may be done on alternate days
This will reduce the dust pollution by 50 percent. In other countries, sweeping is done only once or twice in a month. In the long run, residents should learn to reduce littering.
In the Markets & On Main Roads
Sweeping may be done during the night. Change over to mechanised/vacuum sweeping, as soon as possible. These small steps can help reduce dust pollution which affects the residents and children, directly.
In the Long Run
Provide some funding to devise better ways of road cleaning. There have been new innovations in almost every sphere of life, but the design of poor hand broom has not changed from the stone age till now. It is time we pay some attention to this cheap and lowly but very important hand tool.
(This article was sent to Fit by JS Chadda as we attempt to find solutions for pollution.)
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