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Snapshot 2:Mon, Nov 18, 2024 5:36:09 PM GMT last edited by Vandita

India: New Delhi Chokes as Pollution Hits 50 Times WHO Limit

DelhiIndia: SchoolsNew ShutDelhi DownChokes Asas Pollution Hits 50 Times WHO Limit

Above: A cyclist with his face covered in cloth rides along a street on a cold smoggy morning in New Delhi on Nov. 18, 2024. Image copyright: MONEY SHARMA/Contributor/AFP via Getty images

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).India's national capital region was engulfed in toxic smog on Monday, with air quality 50 times worse than what the World Health Organization (WHO) considers safe.

  • 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.New Delhi's Chief Minister Atishi reportedly called the situation "a medical emergency" as visibility dropped to 100 meters and Swiss group IQAir ranked India's capital the world's most polluted city.


The Spin

TheThis Delhiannual smogcatastrophe 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. ExpertsSustainable stress that sustainable solutions, such as processing farm waste, are essential. YetHowever, 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, particularlymainly from gas-guzzling 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 asincluding 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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