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title="Latest and Breaking News on News Agency" />On November 18, the hourly average PM2.5 concentrations in Delhi were more than 400 μg/m3. As I was walking back to my apartment, gasping for breath under my mask, kids in my residential colony were playing football. Last year, India hosted the Cricket World Cup and half of the matches were played in “unhealthy” air pollution levels. In 2023, light motor vehicle registrations were higher than pre-pandemic levels, signalling an increase in the number of cars in the city. I could keep adding to this list of signs of our evident apathy towards our air pollution.
While some may argue that people in Delhi are now more aware of air pollution than they were a decade back, my rebuttal would be that awareness does not mean that people are concerned. Outrage against polluted air is still limited to the winter months when pollution levels are unimaginable. But what people forget is that it is not only the wintertime pollution that is shortening lifespans. The PM2.5 levels that people breathe throughout the year are likely to cost Delhiites more than 7 years of their life expectancy.
The big question here is what would it take for people and policymakers to see that air pollution is affecting the millions living in the Indo-Gangetic plain, every single day? Why isn't there urgency in the way the problem is being dealt with? The answer lies in how we frame and communicate the issue.
Hyperfocus On AQI
We express outrage when AQI levels exceed 500 and celebrate when they drop to 300, even though, in both cases, PM2.5 concentrations, the primary pollutant driving AQI, remain dangerously high, far above both World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and India's national standards. In fact, Delhi's annual PM2.5 levels are more than twice India's national standard. If Delhi were to meet India's national standard for annual PM2.5 concentrations—which is eight times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³—average life expectancy could increase by over three years.
Furthermore, recent research from 10 Indian cities shows that mortality risks rise more sharply at lower to moderate PM2.5 levels (below India's standard) than at higher concentrations. Why, then, do we talk about air pollution only when AQI hits catastrophic levels? Shouldn't every breach of the national standard trigger public concern and action?
Squabbling Over Source
In the past five years, more than 10 different analyses have identified the key sources of Delhi's pollution. Yet, every winter, we find ourselves debating the same question: what is polluting Delhi? The evidence is clear. Numerous studies have consistently shown that over 50% of Delhi's particulate pollution comes from local sources such as vehicles, dust, and biomass burning. The rest originates from industries within and around the city and power plants located outside its boundaries. What remains lacking is not data but the will to move past finger-pointing and towards action that systematically addresses these sources.
Our discourse on air pollution must shift from identifying problems to finding solutions that work, and robust scientific evaluations are key to this process. For example, our analysis shows that reducing pollution from vehicles and dust by 50% could add nearly two years to the average Delhi resident's life. Over the past decade, measures such as phasing out old vehicles, imposing vehicle restrictions, and increasing parking rates during pollution peaks have been tried, but are they working? Take Delhi's Odd-Even scheme as an example. When first implemented in January 2016, researchers from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) and Evidence for Policy Design found that pollution levels in Delhi were 14-16% lower than surrounding satellite cities during the period the restrictions were in effect. However, the scheme showed no measurable impact when reattempted in April. This evidence highlights the potential value of Odd-Even as an emergency measure during winter months when vehicles play a larger role in driving air pollution. Such evaluations are essential to identify effective interventions and determine which ones need scaling up or reimagining.
Don't Give Up
Instead of resigning to the fact that we are destined to live and breathe poor air, we have to realise that we can engage in a sustained and meaningful manner. Monitoring air quality in residential societies, identifying local pollution sources, participating in public hearings, and tracking the implementation of city clean air plans are all tangible ways to drive change. This will ensure that we are looking at air pollution through a more proactive lens instead of the current reactive lens that we have defaulted to.
Ultimately, solving the air pollution crisis requires a strong demand for clean air and a collective commitment to meaningfully engage on the issue. This starts with reframing the conversation—treating every breach as unacceptable, demanding accountability for solutions, and empowering citizens to act. Air pollution is a solvable challenge. With clear goals, sustained public action, and evidence-based enforcement, cleaner air and healthier, longer lives can become a reality for millions in the Indo-Gangetic Plain.
(The author is Director, Air Quality Life Index)