From planting drive to smog towers: An audit of Delhi’s air crisis solutions

It’s that time of the year again when Delhi’s air pollution crisis becomes an anxious talking point. 

Last November, stagnant winds and low rainfall led to a dramatic fall in air quality. Average readings of the air quality index were 373 in November 2023, which was noticeably worse than 320 in 2022 but in the same range as in 2021 (377). These stagnating figures have impacted Delhi's standing in the Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024, in which the city has slipped two spots to 11th place.

“There is no ‘safe’ level of air pollution. Substantial scientific evidence shows that even low levels of exposure to air pollution shorten lives and have serious effects on public health,” said Avinash Chanchal, campaign manager at Greenpeace India. It is not as though the government has not acknowledged this problem. There are a number of schemes and initiatives, like the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), that have been implemented with the intention of tackling the causes of air pollution across the country. This year, 29 percent of the budget for the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has been allocated to the Control of Pollution scheme, reflecting a 23 percent increase from last year. 

However, as far as Delhi is concerned, the statistics raise questions about the efficacy of the strategies that are currently in place.