A consistent response: On air pollution responses in Delhi
Every year, the first instance of the air quality index (AQI) vaulting to hazardous levels in Delhi is a bugle for pandemonium. On Monday (November 18, 2024), official measurements reported an average AQI of 488, with some private stations reporting over a 1,000. While all these stations do not follow a consistent reporting framework, what is unambiguous is that despite all the analysis of the causes of pollution in the national capital, the political response and the crores invested in measurement and improvising technology fixes, the system is unable to contain episodes of ‘severe’ pollution or when the AQI crosses 400. Official data suggest that since 2016, there have only been two years when the number of ‘severe’ days was in the single digits. The number of ‘poor’ days (AQI over 200) ...