Air Pollution and Systems thinking
Delhi -NCR is reeling under severe air-pollution. This is becoming hazardous for health. The political blame game has started and some action has also been taken. The high level of air pollution is a product of complex inter connected system . To eliminate that problem forever , we need to analyze this problem deeply while looking at inter connection.
Famous Management guru Peter Senge in his best selling book "The fifth Discipline" propagated the concepts of Systems thinking to understand the outcome of a complex system. He has famously said "Business and human endeavors are systems…we tend to focus on snapshots of isolated parts of the system. And wonder why our deepest problems never get solved.” To get more on systems thinking is that if we are pushing harder and harder on familiar solutions, while fundamental problems persist or worsen, is a reliable indicator of non systemic thinking-- what we often call the "What we need here is a bigger hammer" syndrome.Systems thinking shows us that there is no outside, that you and the cause of your problems are part of a single system. The cure lies in your relationship with your "enemy." Systems thinking looks at problem and its causes quite comprehensively and find solutions to solve the root cause.
Why is farmer burning stubble of the crop? We need to go back to the cost of raising a crop and how disposing off the stubble in environmentally sustainable way will increase cost for a farmer and will decrease his whatever little profit. We need an innovation or change in the economics so that farmers get incentive not burn the stubble of the crop. We also need to ask that why farmers of Haryana and Punjab are raising paddy not some value added crops which which can give them more income.Paddy is not natural crop of this region. Corn is natural crop during kharif season. . The government needs to look at the incentives that are given to farmers to raise paddy. Corn related industries like bio fuel or ethanol which can increase farmers income may nudge farmers to shift from paddy to corn or more value added products. There is a need for change in agriculture and its economics to solve this problem of burning stubble of the crops. It is matter of livelihood for millions.
The second source of pollution is coming from Cars, SUVs and Two wheelers. It tells a lot about our transport system and also our own mindset and economics of automobile industry. Leaving car at home and also higher level of taxation on personal transport while subsidizing public transport would help people to shift their preference of using personal car for daily commuting.
The third source of pollution is Construction.Cutting of Trees are to make way for roads, houses and offices lead to higher AQI. More trees could be planted on available land to create dense forest . The government needs to open new offices in smaller towns something 200 kms away from Delhi NCR. It will help these towns to get developed and take out population pressure from the the capital region. The environmental and green mindset both by the public and the private initiatives will make life easier.
More power and resources to Municipal corporations will help them modernize so that they make cities more livable. India is becoming more urban . By 2030 more than half of India's population will be living in cities . This requires new set of institutions and initiatives. We are not so great in urban planning as a society. In last 70 years,except for Chandigarh and Naya Raipur, GIFT, and industrial towns like Bokaro and Sindri , we have hardly created great cities.The key lies in transforming our existing old cities by looking at improvement in roads, flyovers, metro trains, sewerage, garbage disposal, street lamps, parks, public and cultural spaces
The medical cost of air and water pollution is quite high. These initiatives to transform cities and to stem pollution can generate large number of jobs in newer areas. Systems thinking can help tackle the problem in more holistic way.