Air pollution is a persistent and pervasive threat to public health, disproportionately impacting vulnerable communities worldwide. We know this, but it feels important to reiterate, when we are in the thick of ‘that time of year’ again. This time refers to the annual mix of fog and pollution that blankets Northern India around the onset of winter, one most residents have now grown familiar with. Each year, we are given the opportunity to act, in the face of a reminder we can’t ignore, the very smell permeates through doors and windows, and the time has come again, to see clean air as a necessity, and not a luxury that we should accept as unattainable.
In Delhi, a lethal cocktail of crop-burning, industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, and waste mismanagement regularly plunges the city into a public health emergency. Officially, there are 1.50 crore vehicles on Delhi's roads, including commercial and privately owned vehicles, so this can be seen as a pollution problem, as much as a population one. With the AQI regularly exceeding safe limits as prescribed by WHO, months of the winter pose a problem to residents and make life in the city more insular, for those who can afford the privileges of air purifiers and the like.
Air pollution is more than an environmental issue, it’s a matter of justice. For those of us living in cities prone to air pollution, we don’t take clean air for granted. And it’s imperative we stop seeing it as a luxury, but as a necessity we can’t afford to do without. Across the United States, people of color are 2.3 times more likely than white individuals to live in areas with failing air quality. In Delhi and in other Indian cities, economically disadvantaged populations often live in the most polluted neighborhoods, with limited access to healthcare or resources to mitigate exposure.
Policymakers frequently target convenient scapegoats, like Indian farmers or local industries, while overlooking larger systemic contributors like unchecked urbanization, inadequate public transportation, and the fossil fuel industry. Without addressing these root causes, short-term measures like smog towers or bans on stubble burning are all band-aids.
In Delhi, addressing air pollution demands a multipronged approach, stricter regulations for industrial polluters, incentives for cleaner vehicles, and investments in robust public transportation systems. We are making progress, the prevalence of electric taxis and buses, and the expansion of the metro are testament to that, but much more is needed. While many of us can sit inside with air purifiers that bring the AQI indoors down to single digits, most don’t share this privilege. Equally crucial is empowering local communities through low-cost air quality monitors and real-time data to enable informed action.
This air pollution crisis reminds us of the deep connection between human and environmental health. Cleaner air not only saves lives but also delivers economic benefits, by reducing healthcare costs and improving productivity. By acting decisively, and pushing for change, we can rewrite the story of ‘that time of year,’ and not wait in dread for the smog to fall upon us next year.
