Why Delhi must tackle its own fires first
Curbing local burning represents one of Delhi's most direct and achievable pathways to cleaner air.
While attention turns to crop residue burning in neighbouring states, Delhi needs to confront the unchecked fires occurring within the national capital throughout the year. In 2024 alone, Delhi recorded nearly 5,000 fire incidents linked to open waste burning, the highest since 2020. The burning of solid fuel like firewood, coal and dung cakes for residential heating and cooking is among the most prominent contributors to Delhi's air pollution, exposing the most vulnerable of the population to the dirtiest air. Someone in an AC car can escape tailpipe fumes, but a woman cooking on a chulha or a worker walking past a dumpster fire cannot. Tackling these localised sources will not only help to clean Delhi's air but also make its kitchens and neighbourhoods healthier.
