What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?

IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.

- ANUMITA ROYCHOWDHURY

The toxic blanket of smog that enwraps the city every winter is the lasting reminder of the tough pollution battle that is becoming increasingly difficult to win.

This is the time of the year when anger and angst explode, political drama of blame game unfolds, prescriptions are offered liberally to solve the problem, and social media is abuzz with agonies of breathing the harmful toxins.

Yet, the moment the thick winter smog lightens and becomes invisible, the memory of the suffocating experience disappears, and the agenda for systemic action round the year to eliminate the risk is forgotten. While it is a good sign that a lot more people are aware and voicing their concerns about the toxic air than earlier, the public opinion has to now drive the real solutions on the ground.

What will it take to clean up the air?

This puzzle needs demystification. What has Delhi done so far to clean up and what more is needed to meet the benchmark?

Delhi has bent the long-term pollution curve, but is at risk of losing this gain. An analysis of air pollution in Delhi by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) shows that the long-term PM2.5 levels have shown a downward trend, close to average 25 per cent reduction over time, since 2013. The more recent trends show that the annual PM2.5 levels have reduced by 7 per cent in 2023 from the 2019 levels.

Despite the improvement, Delhi still requires another 60 per cent reduction to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM2.5. Such elevated levels despite the reduction can easily turn into a severe smog episode when cool and calm conditions of winter trap the air.