Experts warn Delhi still slips stuck in short-term fixes as DPCC orders daily inspections at 13 hotspots

Environmental experts have cautioned that Delhi's reliance on short-term winter measures will do little to tackle the city's persistent air pollution crisis, even as the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) announced daily inspections of 13 pollution hotspots and 27 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (CAAQM) stations across the Capital.

- AIMAN FATIMA

With Diwali approaching and winter setting in, when smog typically worsens due to stagnant weather, stubble burning, and firecracker use, experts argue that the city's annual antismog drive is a recurring emergency response rather than a sustainable solution. "Every winter Delhi slips into crisis mode. Deploying sprinklers, inspections, and anti-smog guns may reduce immediate exposure, but unless systemic reforms in transport, energy, and construction dust control are prioritised, the cycle will repeat," said an environmental researcher.