As of 2019, 21 of the 30 most polluted cities worldwide were in India. India’s pollution crisis has many contributing factors, although it notably arises from the government’s inability to enforce pollution prevention legislation, such as the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981.
Dust and construction, waste burning, and transportation, are, among others, the primary sources of air contamination in India. Particularly in urban areas, cars driving along unpaved roads kick up massive amounts of dust. When coupled with poor construction practices, synch as letting demolition and excavation augment the suspended dust, many of India’s cities struggle to handle the accumulation of dust. Moreover, fuel and biowaste burning compounds the issue. Millions depend on burning biomass for cooking and keeping warm, creating a large portion of the smoke harming the country. Countless other factors continue to worsen the problem today, culminating in the current issues facing the capital of Delhi.
Colder temperatures in early November have trapped a blanket of slow-moving smog in the already polluted city. PM 2.5–the buildup of fine particulate matter–has surged past 80 times the healthy limit according to IQAir. The New York State Department of Health reports that PM 2.5 causes health problems such as “heart disease, asthma, and low birth weight.”
In response, authorities rushed to implement a variety of emergency measures: an odd/even driving policy, pausing nonessential trucking and construction, trucks sprinkling water on roads to suppress dust, and moving schools online in hazardous areas. The odd/even policy restricts driving with odd plates and even plates on alternating days.
All in all, the pollution crisis in India is among the world’s worst. Caused by crop burning, vehicle transmissions, and the unavoidable burning of biomass, the issue will likely continue indefinitely–with major changes being necessary before the smog and PM 2.5 levels drop to an acceptable degree.