A road map to mitigate Delhi’s pollution crisis

We are months away from Delhi becoming unliveable again. Every breath then will cut years off the lives of its residents: Progress in technology, infrastructure, and economic growth is meaningless if the air we breathe is toxic.

- Amitabh Kant

In 2021, the annual average level of particulate matter of a diameter less than 2.5 micron (PM2.5) peaked at 126.5 ug/m3— more than 25 times the safe limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO). During winter, these levels soar, flooding hospitals with respiratory patients. According to the 2023 Air Quality Life Index, pollution claims up to 25,000 lives annually in Delhi alone, shortening life expectancy by about 6.3 years.

The economic toll is also staggering, Estimates peg GDP loss at 3%, roughly $100 billion annually, due to disrupted work, soaring health care costs, and decreased productivity. Low-income families often left unprotected against toxic fumes are the most vulnerable. To breathe safely has become a privilege.

Despite this, policymakers have offered only temporary band-aids. Bureaucracy, overlapping authorities, and political apathy have failed the people. It is a failure of governance and of moral responsibility. The time for excuses has run out. The only option left is radical, decisive action.

What must be done?

Burning of biomass is the single-largest contributor to Delhi's air pollution, responsible for nearly 60% of PM2.5 emissions annually. Burning dung, firewood, and agricultural waste releases vast amounts of particulate matter, especially in winter. Policies promoting clean cooking fuels like LPG — with subsidies of 75% — starting in NCR+ areas need to be enforced and community biomass plants with subsidies for transition provided, even as traditional cooking methods and agricultural waste burning are phased out.