With millions killed by air pollution every year, meaningful action is long overdue, argues Nilanjana Bhowmick.
During the Covid-19 lockdown, for the first time in years, those of us who live in the National Capital Region of India woke up to what felt like a new world. The sky was the bluest many of us had ever seen, and we could breathe in gusts of air without it burning our lungs. New Delhi recorded its best air quality score since the Central Pollution Control Board began maintaining air quality records in 2015.
But two years on we are back to square one, despite the government launching a National Clean Air Programme in early 2019 which aimed to reduce pollution levels by 20-30 per cent by 2024 in 122 cities. Over two million people in India died due to air pollution in 2021.
In March Delhi was once again crowned the world’s most polluted capital by Swiss air quality trackers IQAir, and India ranked as the third most polluted country behind Bangladesh and Pakistan. Air with 12-15 micrograms per cubic meter of particulate matter – pollution that consists of tiny solid and/ or liquid droplets – is considered safe, while levels above 35 are deemed unhealthy and can clog lungs and cause a host of diseases. In 2023 India’s average particulate matter level was 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter.
Here in Delhi, while the air is toxic year-round, winter brings an apocalyptic level of smog. From October onwards, a thick gray haze settles over the city – a toxic mix of vehicular and construction-related pollution, compounded by the smoke from burning fields in neighbouring states. Schools and colleges often shut down for days because the air is simply too poisonous to breathe.
The fires in Punjab and Haryana start showing up on NASA’s satellite images in mid to late September as farmers begin to burn their fields to clear the remnants of the previous crop. The smoke from these fires traps Delhi in a choking smog, but while this process of stubble burning adds to the problem, it is not the sole cause. These farmers are just as impacted by the pollution as we are in Delhi. During a reporting trip a couple of years ago, every farmer I spoke to said the same thing: ‘If it’s so bad for you in Delhi, imagine how much we suffer here. But this is the quickest and easiest solution available to us.’
Last year, the Supreme Court of India criticized the governments of Punjab and Delhi for their inadequate response to the ongoing issue of stubble burning and stressed the need for more support and resources for farmers in these states.
While the annual battle between the government and the top court continues, we continue to breathe toxic air. As winter approaches, it’s time to bring out the air purifiers and get used to shuttering the doors and windows.