The Hidden Cost Of Pollution

While pollution is the single-biggest cause of death worldwide, it also has financial implications. For instance, ambient PM2.5 pollution cost about 6.5 per cent of India's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2010.

Role of housing in rising pollution levels

India's land-use policy plays an important role in rising pollution levels. How so? When real estate developments are dispersed throughout the city, they increase commute from home to workplace and lead to greater pollution levels.  

In the National Capital Region (NCR) , for example, houses and offices are widely dispersed. Many people live in Noida and work in Gurgaon, while there also are others who work in Noida and live in Gurgaon. This is not an inevitable consequence of urbanisation. Delhi has enough space for everybody to live in a spacious bungalow. But constraints on real estate development have made this almost impossible.

When jobs are decentralised, high levels of pollution are inevitable, especially when car ownership rises. This can raise commute distance. Greater mobility through high car ownership can allow low-income households to enjoy more space and protect themselves from indoor pollution, which is a greater threat than outdoor pollution. 

But when Delhi became a more populated city, as real estate development was hindered in central areas, decentralisation was bound to happen. It is impossible to have jobs and residences concentrated in a city like Delhi for a very simple reason: When a person from another state migrates to Delhi, he would not search for jobs in a certain geographical area in Delhi. Why? To easily find jobs, he should be open to jobs in any part of the city. Similarly, when a firm relocated to Noida or Gurgaon, it would not confine its search for employees to a certain part of Noida or Gurgaon. It cannot afford to do this. So, jobs being dispersed is inevitable. Everything depends on how cities handle the decentralisation of jobs.

The challenge before urban planners is to allow greater mobility in the city, while lowering pollution and other environmental harms.

The government, for example, can shorten commute time by building primary infrastructure in suburbs and the periphery. By allowing higher density building in the heart of Delhi and other Indian cities, it is possible to reduce the urban footprint extending to the periphery of the city. 

 

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