Dehradun welcomed the New Year shrouded in a blanket of severe air pollution, with its Air Quality Index (AQI) stubbornly remaining above the 300 mark for prolonged periods. This hazardous trend has been directly linked by scientists to a dramatic increase in tourist numbers and the accompanying rise in vehicular emissions during the festive season.
Nighttime Pollution: A New and Worrying Pattern
Air quality monitoring experts in the city have observed a significant shift in pollution patterns. Unlike the past, where pollution levels would peak during daytime hours, sharp spikes are now being recorded at night. Dr Vijay Sridhar, the scientist in charge at Doon University's air quality monitoring station—the only such facility in Dehradun—explained this alarming change.
"Earlier, AQI levels peaked during the day and dipped at night. Now we are observing nighttime spikes, indicating increased human activity such as vehicular movement and combustion-related activities during late hours," Dr Sridhar stated. This points to sustained pollution sources well beyond typical daytime traffic.
Vehicular Emissions and Tourist Footfall: The Core Culprits
The link between vehicles and degraded air is not new but has been critically exacerbated. A source apportionment study conducted under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) for the Doon valley in 2022–23 had already identified vehicular emissions as one of the top three contributors to air pollution.
The heavy influx of tourists during the Christmas and New Year period directly translated to a surge in the number of vehicles on Dehradun's roads, leading to a measurable deterioration in air quality. Social activist Anoop Nautiyal drew a stark parallel, warning that Dehradun is beginning to mirror the pollution crisis of the national capital.
"We can no longer hide behind superficial NCAP laurels. Doon is repeating patterns of Delhi where vehicular emissions contribute 40–50% of pollutants. The critical difference is we don't even have external contributors like stubble burning; all of it is localised pollution generated within," Nautiyal emphasized.
Localized Crisis and the Ripple Effect to Mussoorie
Nautiyal highlighted systemic failures, pointing to the city's inadequate public transport system and road-centric infrastructure. "There are larger causes like the Delhi–Doon expressway, but we also lack acknowledgement at the government level," he said. He noted that the poor air quality numbers persist despite crores of rupees being spent on measures like mechanised sweeping machines, indicating a pressing need for more stringent and effective action.
The crisis is not confined to Dehradun alone. Experts say climatic factors, including a lack of rain, have trapped pollutants in the Doon valley, with the impact being felt in the adjoining hill station of Mussoorie.
"The Doon valley is a landlocked valley with the Shivaliks in the south and Himalayan ranges in the north. Consequently, much of the air pollution in the valley gets blown up the Himalayas and into Mussoorie," explained Vipin Gupta, a resident and environmentalist.
Gupta added that rising construction activities, a significant increase in tourist vehicles, and the burning of fossil fuels for warmth during winters are collectively degrading air quality in Mussoorie, turning a major tourist destination into a pollution receptor.
The situation presents a clear challenge: managing development and tourism sustainably is imperative to safeguard the fragile Himalayan ecology and the health of residents in cities like Dehradun and Mussoorie.
