Beyond quick fixes: The transformation our cities need

In the shadow of Delhi's toxic air and Mumbai's flooded streets, India's urban centres face an environmental reckoning.

- AVINASH PANDEY & SAURAV PANDEY

As reported by World Air Quality Report, with 11 of the world's 20 most polluted cities located within India, the urban environmental crisis has become a fundamental threat to economic development, public health, and quality of life. As India pursues its vision of progress, there is an urgent need for systemic rather than symptomatic interventions.

Cities have gained disproportionate economic significance by generating over 60% of India's GDP while occupying less than 5% of its land area. It is, therefore, not surprising that cities are the sites with maximum human impact on environment and pollution-led costs on our quality of life. Data-based research has shown anthropogenic burden in urban centres in the form of particulate matter, vehicular and industrial emissions, biomass and crop residues. Urban environment policies must take into account costs due to worsening healthcare and low productivity.

This pollution challenge is inextricably intertwined with transportation systems, energy choices, industrial activities, and ultimately climate change. Such a tangled web defies single-solution approaches. Pollution and congestion erode aspects of urbanity like spaces for community, culture, and leisure. People retreat indoors, parks lie empty, and public spaces become transit corridors; rather than vibrant community spaces. The diverse leisure urban opportunities—from serene parks and common cultural venues to open marketplaces and recreational facilities—are fundamental to government's vision for the 'Ease of Living'.