By Asia Samachar | India |
India’s toxic air crisis is spiralling toward a breaking point, with mounting public anger, economic costs and political inertia colliding in the world’s fastest-growing major economy.
A recent Bloomberg report paints a stark picture of life in New Delhi, where winter smog has become an annual ordeal. Each year from November to February, a “gray, choking haze” engulfs the capital, exposing more than 30 million residents to hazardous air.
In December, New Delhi’s Air Quality Index averaged 349, and 307 in January — levels the US Environmental Protection Agency classifies as hazardous. On especially bad days, some neighbourhoods recorded readings approaching 1,800, according to Swiss air-quality firm IQAir.
This winter, however, frustration boiled over. Hundreds gathered at India Gate on Nov. 9 demanding action. Police detained more than a dozen protesters, and a later demonstration turned violent. After years of resignation, Strumpf writes, “at least some residents had had enough.”
The health toll is severe. Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, penetrates deep into the lungs and bloodstream, increasing risks of heart disease, cancer, stroke and dementia. Nearly 1.7 million deaths in India in 2019 were attributable to air pollution, according to The Lancet.
Bhavreen Kandhari, co-founder of the advocacy group Warrior Moms, which organised the protest, said pharmacy surveys show rising demand for inhalers and nebulisers, many for children. “The findings clearly highlight that protecting the health and future of our children cannot wait,” she said.
The economic damage is also mounting. A 2023 World Bank report estimated that air pollution reduces India’s annual GDP growth by 0.56 percentage point. Former IMF official Gita Gopinath said in Davos that the crisis has inflicted more economic harm on India than tariffs.
Yet critics argue government responses amount to stopgap measures — from “smog guns” and “smog towers” to a failed cloud-seeding trial. In December, a senior environment minister told Parliament there was no conclusive data directly linking pollution and lung disease, drawing sharp criticism from doctors.
Author Manu Joseph was blunt: “All of India’s politicians are old men. They know the pollution is affecting them, but they don’t have the guts to solve it.”
Whether mounting public pressure will force decisive action remains uncertain. “It’s too soon to say,” Kandhari noted. “But at least they listened.”
RELATED STORY:
Air – A Classical Element of Life in Sikh Theology (Asia Samachar, 19 Sept 2021)
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
