Pollution inequality: Govt must compensate the most vulnerable
reported Mint. The concentration of PM2.5 exceeded the safe limit of 60 micrograms per cubic metre by 7 to 8 times across various locations which can trigger respiratory and health problems. Anand Vihar station, Punjabi Bagh station, Mundka station recorded AQI levels in ‘severe’ category that is above 400 AQI mark, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, prompting a ban on non-essential construction work and the closure of primary schools in the capital.
Restrictions have also been imposed on diesel and petrol vehicles operating in and around Delhi. Clean air is a public good; pollution a negative externality. Public goods are collective goods normally provided by the state due to their two essential qualities: they are non-excludable and non-rivalrous.
National defence is an example of a public good. No one can be excluded from the benefits of the armed forces keeping the country’s territory secure. At the same time, providing defence to one person does not come at the cost of providing it to someone else, as would be true of providing say a kilo of free rice.
An externality is the byproduct of an act of production or consumption the cost or benefit of which accrues to someone other than the producer or consumer. When loud music being played at a party disturbs the revellers’ neighbours, it’s a case of a negative externality. Tim Berners Lee developed the World Wide Web, and made it available freely, creating a very large positive externality.
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