Life in the nation’s administrative seat takes a new chokehold as the air quality index (AQI) in some areas of New Delhi like Ghaziabad read 1,700, surpassing Pakistan’s Lahore as the world’s most polluted city according to Swiss agency, IQAir.
Today, according to FirstPost, living in Delhi is comparable to smoking 47 cigarettes daily, increasing 18% risk of lung cancer, shortening lifespans by 8.5 years on average and a smog cloud visible from the International Space Station — these developments spell doom for the Rajdhani’s 33 million residents.
The cataclysm of smog has doctors recommending residents move out due to severe health risks like severe lung damage, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory illnesses. Moreover, Dr Saurabh Mehrotra, Associate Director in Psychiatry and Neurology at Medanta, Gurugram, has a concerning point to make. "We've seen a rise in cases where the pollution is playing a significant role in triggering or worsening symptoms in patients," he said on the surge in mental health issues like eco-anxiety, neurological problems, and headaches, as per a report by The Indian Express.
Education has also taken an adverse turn under GRAP III and IV (Graded Response Action Plan), imposed on November 14 and November 18, respectively. Schools in Delhi-NCR have shut down and are offering online classes along with universities like Delhi University (DU) and National Law University (NLU) which have shifted to online classes too, with extracurricular and outdoor activities being severely restricted. Added to this, syllabus demands have multiplied and preparations for competitive exams have come to a standstill.
EdexLive spoke to Aryan Jadhav, Paridhi Narvar, and Dhritiman Choudhary from Sanskriti School, Om Pangotra from Army Public School (APS) Dhaula Kuan, and Rishit Gandhi from Springdale School, Dhaula Kuan and this is what they had to say.
Paridhi, Aryan, and Dhritiman have fled Delhi along with their families due to pollution, relocating to Mumbai, Pune, and Srinagar, respectively, while Om and Rishit endure the noxious air Delhi has to offer.
Paridhi remarked on the GRAP implementation, shared, “It was unexpected. The pollution this time was way worse. I woke up and couldn’t tell if it was pollution or fog.”
Dhritiman added, “Diwali came early this year, before the stubble burning, so the sudden spike was alarming.”
Construction activities have been halted, diesel-run vehicles restricted, and over 100 flights were delayed due to low visibility, last week. Train cancellations added to the chaos last week, disrupting business and travel plans.
However, such severe restrictions by GRAP have done little to help matters, Aryan commented, “GRAP has been ineffective when it comes to pollution control; the severity of the problem remains the same. I couldn’t step out of my house, and when I did, I felt excessive pain in my eyes.”
However, the economic effects of the air quality crisis have sales of air purifiers soaring.
“We have seen 60 per cent sales growth since last week, but it is all from AQI-dependent. People are gravitating towards brands like Dyson, Philips, and Eureka Forbes,” said Nilesh Gupta, Director of Vijay Sales, stated a report by Business Standard.
Yet, for many who cannot afford such luxuries, the toxic air remains inescapable with an average cost of Rs 16,000 per room.
The story of resource disparity in combating pollution is age-old.
On Friday, November 22 it took a legal turn as the Supreme Court is said to review the potential easing of GRAP IV measures in Delhi-NCR from next week, particularly those affecting schools, headed by Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih after parents challenged the suspension of physical classes, arguing lack of access to necessary technology at home.
Senior Advocate Meneka Guruswamy highlighted the presumption that home air is cleaner and urged flexibility for parents who prefer sending children to physical classes. The review is scheduled for December 2.
The politics of it
The pollution crisis has become a battleground for political parties. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) blames the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government for rampant stubble burning, while the AAP points fingers at the Central government for its failure to provide solutions like artificial rain and region-wide GRAP implementation.
Such partisan squabbles detract from coordinated action, leaving citizens to bear the brunt.
Om questioned the delayed mandates, saying, “Isn’t it concerning that without government orders, students were still going to school in the smog? Our education system doesn’t seem to care.”
Chief Minister Atishi Marlena’s cabinet was quick to deflect the looking glass towards the Union Agricultural Minister, Shivraj Chauhan. Meanwhile, police crackdowns on firecrackers and partial remote work policies seem inadequate to tackle the magnitude of the crisis.
Dhritiman criticised the political response, stating, “For politicians, whenever something happens in Delhi, they trivialise the issue, focus on it briefly, and forget the solutions. They never ask what we, the people of Delhi, actually need until the situation reaches a tipping point.”
Yet, the saga of Indian political finger-pointing continues, Delhi’s Chief Minister, Atishi, in an interview with India Today, has vocalised the public’s frustration, refusing to share the blame for Delhi’s rampantly deteriorating AQI.
Meanwhile, BJP’s spokesperson dramatically exhibited gas masks while speaking to the press on Saturday, November 23. Om argued, “The government needs to shift from relentless public relations stunts and focus on meaningful actions. Unless people migrate out of Delhi in large numbers, I don’t see that happening.”
With a lenient implementation of GRAP, there is little vision to expand it across NCR. Including measures like artificial rain and enhanced public transportation can reduce pollution levels. But with the two strongholds, BJP’s Haryana and AAP’s Punjab offering no viable alternatives to stubble burning, and chances of inter-state collaboration in the face of political polarity seems grim.
Decreasing green cover and incentivising noxious industries within NCR neatly coupled with a vehement disregard for the need for citizen engagement and eco-education have rendered progress stagnant.
With robust leadership and collective action, Delhi’s residents can aspire to breathe cleaner air in the future.
This crisis, however, is not just about Delhi — it’s a wake-up call for urban centres across India: Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai trail closely in worsening AQI indexes.
Aryan from Sanskriti School added, “The government has been liberal, but it needs to be radical on pollution issues. If it continues to grant liberties to these agencies, ultimately, the country will lose its talent.”
Talking about how pollution is not merely a matter of policy but of survival, Dhritiman emphasised, “Complete support from the Central and state governments is needed, but, of course, the government seems very hesitant to provide it.”
This is a clarion call for transformation, as the adage goes, “What we sow today, we shall reap tomorrow.”
