India's Battle for Clean Air: Can New Delhi Overcome its Pollution Crisis?

Last week, over 20 million individuals were greeted with a dense and unpleasant smog that engulfed the Indian capital. As a result, primary schools had to close, road travel was limited, and construction activities came to a halt. New Delhi was engulfed in a hazy grey mist, obstructing the view of buildings and causing residents to rush and purchase air purifiers in a state of panic.

State and federal authorities met privately to devise a strategy to mitigate the city's polluted air, as its Air Quality Index (AQI) surpassed 500. Experts caution that this alarming level could potentially reduce the life expectancy of residents by over ten years. However, this occurrence is not uncommon.

Year after year, the skies of New Delhi assume a noxious grey hue, triggering a frantic response from authorities to tackle the pollution crisis. At this time annually, news channels are inundated with stories highlighting the problem, serving as a stark reminder to the nation's 1.4 billion inhabitants that the onslaught of smog season has resumed unabated.

Without fail, the populace questions the constant lack of progress and wonders why no substantial improvements have been made.

"It's an unseen assassin," stated Jyoti Pande Lavakare, the writer of "Breathing Here is Harmful to Your Well-being: The Human Toll of Air Pollution" and co-founder of the non-profit organization Care for Air which advocates for clean air.

The Akshardham temple is barely visible as smog envelopes New Delhi on November 9, 2023.

Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images

A success story

The current toxic air in New Delhi is similar to the smog that enveloped entire skyscrapers in Beijing, another major Asian capital about a decade ago. Beijing has managed to improve its air quality, raising the question of why India cannot do the same.

As with India, China's impressive economic growth as an influential global power was fueled by rapid industrialization and urbanization. However, similar to India, this growth came at the expense of the environment, with China heavily relying on fossil fuels and industries that emit large amounts of pollutants. The consequences of this were particularly evident in Beijing, a city bustling with nearly 22 million inhabitants, where the air quality became so severe that it earned the nickname "air-pocalypse." The city's hospitals were inundated with patients suffering from respiratory issues, prompting many residents, especially families with children, to seek job opportunities in cleaner regions, both within the country and abroad.

The central business district in Beijing on June 3, 2013.

The publication of its own air quality data by the United States embassy in Beijing not only angered Chinese officials, but also increased awareness among the Chinese public regarding the severity of the situation.

China achieved a significant breakthrough in its battle against air pollution in 2013 by allocating billions of dollars towards a comprehensive national action plan. This initiative was accompanied by the implementation of various measures, such as the limitation of vehicle volume in major urban areas, stricter environmental regulations and emission controls, the establishment of a widespread network of air monitoring stations, and the regulation of coal and other heavily polluting industries.

According to Frank Christian Hammes, Global CEO of IQAir, Beijing has taken the issue seriously. Electrification is now widely adopted, both in restaurants and street food vendors, eliminating the use of coal. Power generators have switched to gas, leading to significant improvements.

China has experienced significant improvement in its air quality over the past decade. According to a report by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, the country's pollution levels in 2021 dropped by 42% compared to 2013, leading to a commendable achievement in the fight against pollution. As of now, Beijing is no longer among the cities with the worst air pollution and is currently ranked 27th in the global air quality ranking by IQAir, a Swiss company.

New Delhi started the week by once again clinching the top spot.

Hundreds of thousands of lives saved

Research has revealed that China's extensive measures to improve air quality have resulted in saving hundreds of thousands of lives. Nevertheless, the report cautions that there remains unfinished business as Beijing's particulate pollution, which poses a significant health risk due to its ability to bypass the body's normal defense mechanisms, is still 40% higher than that of the most polluted county in the United States.

However, the data indicates that China is heading in the right direction, while there is a strong desire among many in India to witness similar advancements in their own nation. "India possesses all the necessary resources to bring about change. We have science and financial capabilities, but what we lack is a reduction-oriented strategy," remarked Sunil Dahiya, a representative of the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) based in New Delhi.

In comparison to Beijings strict measures that were intended for long-term success, New Delhis have been "reactive," he argued.

Morning commuters pass the CCTV tower in Beijing, China, on Monday, Oct. 30, 2023.

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Every year, as the winter harvest wraps up, countless farmers in northern Indian states like Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and New Delhi set fire to their leftover rice stubble. This age-old practice, combined with pollution from vehicles and industries, has resulted in significant levels of smog in the region.

Millions of impoverished households in the nation still depend on inexpensive and detrimental fuels for their cooking needs.

India initiated its Clean Air Programme in 2019, implementing strategies across 24 states and union territories to achieve a 40% reduction in particulate matter concentration by 2025-26. These measures encompass strict regulations on coal-powered plants, installation of air monitoring systems, and prohibition of biomass burning.

Government data indicates that air quality has improved in certain Indian cities. However, experts argue that progress has been hindered by inadequate enforcement and coordination. In an attempt to combat persistent pollution in New Delhi, officials have implemented strategies such as sprinkling water on roads, implementing traffic restrictions for vehicles with odd or even license plates on alternate days, and constructing two smog towers in 2018 worth 200 million rupees ($2.4 million) to function as large-scale air purifiers.

Between 2018 and 2022, the average PM2.5 concentration in New Delhi during the month of November, which marks the start of the pollution season, has remained relatively unchanged, according to IQAir.

As of this November, New Delhi has maintained its position as the most polluted city on IQ Air's list for at least five days. To address this issue, the city plans to use rain as a means to cleanse the air of dust, following the example of other Asian countries such as China, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

Traffic on a road enveloped by smog in New Delhi, India, on November 3.

AP

However, scientists say it is unclear how effective this method really is.

According to experts, China's authoritarian one-party system, unlike India's democracy, ensures prompt compliance from officials.

A blame game

According to Lavakare from Care for Air, Beijing was able to successfully address pollution once their government made the decision to do so. He believes that India has the potential to achieve the same, or even faster results, but the issue of pollution is not given enough importance on a national level. Instead, it is a recurring problem caused by systemic failures year after year, and there seems to be a lack of will to solve it.

Local and national leaders publicly engage in a continuous blame game regarding the hazardous air quality in the capital city. Accusations of "inaction and insensitivity" have been directed towards Arvind Kejriwal, the Chief Minister of Delhi and leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, who is seen as opposing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Yamuna river covered with a thick layer of toxic foam due to water pollution near Kalindi Kunj, on September 10, 2023 in New Delhi, India.

Salman Ali/Hindustan Times/Getty Images

Toxic foam coats sacred river near New Delhi as Indian capital battles hazardous pollution

According to Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva, Kejriwal's team has made minimal efforts to implement adequate measures for improving the air quality in New Delhi. Residents of Delhi are facing issues such as itching, breathlessness, and the ill health of children, for which Kejriwal alone is being held responsible.

In response, the AAP has alleged that the central government has reduced their funding for pollution control and shown a lack of seriousness in addressing the issue.

During a recent Supreme Court hearing, judges Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia expressed their frustration with the ongoing political disagreements. "This constant political strife is unacceptable. We have reached our limit of patience on this matter," they stated firmly before directing the authorities to enforce a ban on fireworks before Diwali and to prevent farmers from burning crops.

CNN reached out to both Kejriwal's office and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India for comment, but has not yet received a response.

Dahiya from CREA acknowledged that air pollution was initially a significant concern for all political parties. However, as time passed and due to various other factors, this issue has lost its momentum. He further mentioned that air pollution might even be becoming less prioritized, including among the citizens of India.

New Delhi residents burst firecrackers on Diwali despite a nationwide ban to curb pollution levels on November 12, 2023.

Raj K Raj/Hindustan Times/Getty Images

During the recent Diwali celebrations, numerous individuals rallied on the streets, unabashedly setting off firecrackers that released copious amounts of smoke into the atmosphere. Consequently, New Delhi commenced the week as the globally most polluted city, surpassing an "hazardous" AQI level of 420, as reported by IQAir.

Hammes from IQAir stated that the most vulnerable population will experience lifelong consequences. "An entire generation is being deprived of any opportunity to overcome these challenges," he added.

According to Lavakre from Care for Air, individuals will suffer a reduction in their lifespan.