BREATHING THROUGH DELHI’S HAZE

S Delhi’s winter turns from beautiful to brutal, small acts of care and resilience become our only defence against the city’s poisoned air.

- VERNIKA AWAL

Let’s be honest. The air quality monitors are being tampered with, numbers are being softened, and politicians are busy slinging mud at one another over who should shoulder the blame for Delhi’s poisonous air. Yet, amid all the outrage and the press conferences, we remain no closer to a solution. The powerful sit cocooned in their filtered comfort, their air purifiers humming steadily as they issue statements from sterile rooms. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to inhale poison and pretend this is normal. Each morning brings another article about declining lifespans, weakened lungs, and children growing up with respiratory issues that should belong to the elderly. It feels as though the city itself is gasping for breath, and we are simply expected to live with it.