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Snapshot 1:Mon, Nov 18, 2024 4:37:00 PM GMT last edited by Harish Chander

Delhi Schools Shut Down As Pollution Hits 50 Times WHO Limit

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The Facts

  • Vehicular emissions and farm stubble-burning in neighboring states have engulf the Indian capital region in a toxic smog, leaving air quality 50 times worse than what the WHO considers safe and forcing authorities to impose stage 4 of a graded response action plan (GRAP-4). [1][2]

  • Delhi Chief Minister Atishi reportedly called the situation "a medical emergency" as visibility dropped to 100 metres and Swiss group IQAir ranked New Delhi the world's most polluted city. Authorities have shut down schools and halted construction. [3][4]


The Spin

The Delhi smog crisis, driven primarily by unchecked stubble burning, underscores the failure of both state and central governments to tackle this annual catastrophe. While political blame games rage on, government inaction has left the majority of sanctioned bio-compressed gas plants non-functional. Short-term measures like vehicle rationing offer scant relief. Experts stress that sustainable solutions, such as processing farm waste, are essential. Yet, a broader inability to prioritize long-term action over rhetoric and political expediency mars any progress.

Blaming farmers for Delhi’s smog is both simplistic and unfair. Studies show stubble burning contributes only a fraction of the city’s pollution, while vehicular emissions, particularly from SUVs, construction dust, and industrial waste are far greater culprits. Yet, punitive measures disproportionately target farmers, ignoring their lack of viable alternatives and the systemic failures to address their concerns. Meanwhile, urban affluence, symbolized by gas-guzzling SUVs and unchecked industrial activity, continues to poison the air.

Delhi’s persistent smog crisis is a glaring indictment of systemic governmental apathy. Instead of addressing root issues—such as economic barriers for farmers, fragmented governance, and inadequate year-round pollution controls—politicians deflect blame, prioritizing agendas over public health. Unlike Beijing’s coordinated and sustained action against pollution, Delhi’s response remains mired in inaction and political infighting, leaving millions to suffer avoidable harm.


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