EXPLAINER: Why clean air dreams remain Gurugram’s annual mirage & how are locals affected

Having faced international backlash for waterlogging this monsoon, Gurugram is again making headlines: this time for ‘winter pollution’. With AQI soaring high and smog gripping the city, Gurugram has been gasping for breath.

How bad is the pollution crisis in Gurugram?

In what seems to have become an annual affair, Gurugram is facing major air quality issues. The city has witnessed only 128 good air days so far this year. The PM 2.5 and PM 10 types of particular matter are alarmingly high, raising the city’s AQI to the ‘severe’ category. Heavy smog has gripped most areas, with visibility dropping substantially.

 How is the high AQI impacting residents?

The increased AQI is posing serious health risks to residents. Many vulnerable-group families have fled the city for the winters. Hospitals are witnessing a surge in pulmonology and ophthalmology patients, with many setting up separate pollution OPDs. Gurugram-based firms are switching to the work-from-home model, and schools to online classes.

With the government invoking the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), all development and construction projects have been stalled.

What are the key causes of pollution in Gurugram?

Among the reasons for pollution in city, most prominent are vehicular emissions, construction and road dust, industrial emissions, waste burning, and stubble burning in neighbouring districts in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Cracker bursting during the festive season has added to the problem.

What mitigation efforts are being made by the authorities?

The authorities concerned have implemented measures such as the GRAP, which can involve banning construction activities, restricting certain vehicle types, and intensifying road cleaning. Enforcement gaps, however, remain a challenge.