Politics and Pollution - A Deadly Stalemate : Analysis By Columnist Abhishek Gupta

Delhi the busy capital of India is home of 33 million people, which is once again plagued by dangerously high air pollution levels, raising serious health issues. With the 24-hour Air Quality Index readings reaching as high as 493 in November-more than 30 times the recommended level by the World Health Organisation-this yearly issue, and winter worked as a catalyst to make it critical. Such "severe plus" readings make the situation rather sharp and have demands made that authorities think of some desperate ways, even as radical as creating artificial rain to dissipate the hazardous haze.

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Since the middle of November, Delhi's air quality index, or AQI, has been alarmingly high. One of the principal reasons is PM2.5, a dangerous pollutant which is composed of small particulate matter. These particles may cause serious respiratory and cardiovascular problems since they are small enough to enter the circulation and reach deep into the lungs. For more than three or four days a year, the WHO advises that PM2.5 levels shouldn't surpass 15 micrograms per cubic metre over a 24 - hour period. Delhi, on the other hand, has continuously had readings above 400, which is considered "severe" by Indian standards. For comparison, Delhi's pollution would equal an astounding 1,100 on the US AQI scale, underscoring the city's terrible air quality.

The Delhi administration took a number of extreme measures to curb pollution which was increasing day by day. Industries operated at half capacity, while educational institutions shut schools as a measure to limit industrial and vehicular emissions. Since dust from construction and automobile emissions was the highest source of pollution, non-essential construction and trucking was prohibited. Meanwhile, mechanised sweepers and water-sprinkling trucks had been employed throughout the city to clean dust out of the air. While these measures have not reduced pollution levels much, the magnitude of the problem is still gigantic.

Delhi's annual winter pollution is caused by a combination of regional and local factors. Another factor contributing significantly is burning crop stubble from neighbouring states Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. These farmers here burn their agricultural wastes to clear space in preparation for the next round of cultivation following the harvesting season. Wind directions facilitate significant quantities of smoke from the entire exercise to cover up Delhi with poisonous fume. All of this combined with the emissions from the city's 11 million automobiles and the thriving construction sector contribute to the problem. During the winter months, due to colder temperatures and heavier air, an inversion layer traps pollutants near the ground and exacerbates the smog.

Delhi's hazardous air is seriously impacting health. PM2.5 has been linked with respiratory disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and premature death in susceptible groups such as children, the elderly, and those suffering from pre-existing conditions. No Indian city met the new WHO safety standards for PM2.5, and more than half of the country's states exceeded those limits by over tenfold, an IQAir review in 2021 found. Respiratory diseases kill hundreds of thousands of Indians every year. This speaks to the fact that solutions are needed urgently, if not permanently. Cloud seeding to induce rain is one such controversial measure.

This refers to the use of aeroplanes or ground-based generators to spray chemicals such as common salt or silver iodide into clouds. The water droplets condense around these materials that act as nuclei and then fall as rain.Gopal Rai, the environment minister for Delhi, argue that artificial rain could provide immediate relief by removing airborne pollutants. Environmentalists and scientists have criticised the plan of cloud seeding.

Some climatic conditions, such as sufficient atmospheric moisture, are required for successful cloud seeding but not always present in the region. Besides, because its long term impacts on ecosystems are unknown entirely, the use of silver iodide poses environmental challenges. Air quality forecaster Sachin Ghude and many scientists have criticised the proposition arguing that it fails to attack the root causes of air pollution. Moreover, a political delay has curbed the implementation of the initiative. The city council of this town has accused federal officers of delaying authorisation. The Delhi air problem has also turned into a political playground.

The central government, under the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Delhi-based Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have often differed on who should take charge of solving the problem. Gopal Rai termed it their "moral responsibility" and said PM Narendra Modi and Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav were paying no attention to Delhi's plight. The blame game has been fuelled by the mostly unresponsiveness of the central government to repeated demands for help, including approval for the cloud-seeding initiative. India has taken a number of long-term steps to address air pollution, even if emergency measures currently dominate the conversation.

Introduced in 2000 and based on European laws, Bharat Stage Emission limits, or BSES, have gradually increased vehicle emissions limits. Moreover, by 2026, NCAP, which was initiated in 2019, aims at reducing overall pollution by 40% and particulate matter concentrations by 20-30%. Critics argue that NCAP does not have an all-inclusive, interstate plan to address sources of pollution, such as crop burning, and is overly city-centric. Although they have showed potential, local initiatives like Odd-Even Scheme, which limits car usage based on license plate numbers, and the promotion of electric vehicles are still insufficient to combat the crisis's scope. Experts states that to solve this problem, Delhi and its bordering states must work together. Long-term improvement requires a shift from coal to renewable energy, stronger emission regulations, and increased public knowledge of sustainable behaviours.

The controversy over artificial rain reminds one of how complex the pollution problem in Delhi is. Cloud seeding might give temporary relief, but it cannot substitute for structural adjustments that address the root sources of pollution. Millions of people's health and well-being are at risk as Delhi struggles with its poisonous winter air. Now is the moment for swift, well-coordinated action to prevent the city's air quality issue from turning into an uncontrollable disaster.

Writer name: Abhishek Gupta

Political analyst and columnist.

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