Delhi air pollution: Stop clueless spending, find out the real cause

“Your directions, like pollution, are in the air,” said the Supreme Court last September, rebuking the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) over Delhi’s pollution crisis. The court criticised the CAQM, emphasising that its actions must result in a tangible reduction in pollution levels.

As Delhi braces up for another smog-filled winter, one question remains frustratingly unanswered: Does anyone really know what’s causing this annual air-apocalypse?

Over the years, governments, both local and central, have launched various initiatives. Despite millions spent, the air quality worsens each winter, and it is becoming increasingly clear that we may not even know the root cause before jumping into these expensive “experiments”.

First, it was Diwali crackers

For years, firecrackers were cast as the primary villain. A generation of children grew up making posters to celebrate a “Green Diwali”. We were told every sparkler that exploded in Diwali was choking the city. Eventually, firecrackers were banned.

Diwali is a festival based on the lunar calendar, and dates vary each year. Each year Diwali is early; smog precedes Diwali, showing clearly the lack of causation between the two events. Like last year, a thick smog descended on the capital weeks before Diwali. With no crackers in sight, we were left scratching our heads—if crackers aren’t the culprit, what is?

This year, Diwali approaching earlier, the government might once again blame the festival for the inevitable air quality crisis.

Stubble burning

Over the years, an equally important contender as the root cause has been the stubble or parali burning in the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana. The central government has allocated over ₹3,000 crore for crop residue management in North India. NGOs and environmentalists jumped on the bandwagon, starting a major movement to stop farmers from stubble burning. Farmers, however, argue they have no practical alternatives, despite the government’s attempts to subsidise better methods.

But here’s the catch: Crop burning happens all over India, so why does Delhi suffer disproportionately?

In the interim, some reports suggested that a shift to Monsanto maize in Punjab may be adding to the pollution problem. Farmers have been very unhappy with his genetically modified maize, which has a much thicker stubble. It is harvested closer to the winter season, when the air gets heavy and the direction of winds changes in northern India, creating a blanket of smoke for Delhi.

In a surprise revelation, two years ago, the central government filed an affidavit with the Supreme Court stating that stubble burning constitutes just 4 per cent of the smog pollution. If the stubble isn’t the cause, why have we wasted so much money and effort trying to curb it?

The Odd-Even and CNG buses

Shifting its gaze away from crops and crackers, the government decided to focus on vehicle pollution instead. An “out-of-the-box” experiment was the odd-even vehicle rule, where cars with odd and even-numbered plates ran on the road. It created a huge inconvenience for people, and its effectiveness remains hotly debated. Data suggested the improvement was marginal, and the overall smog levels remained high.

In another initiative, Delhi shifted to CNG buses, aiming to reduce diesel pollution on the roads. While this did have some positive impact, in terms of reducing vehicular emissions, it was nowhere near enough to solve the larger problem. The air quality continues to spiral downwards every winter.

Smog towers: The glorified vacuum cleaners

One of the most high-profile initiatives to tackle air pollution was the installation of smog towers, giant air purifiers, designed to suck in polluted air and release cleaner air. The towers were touted as a revolutionary solution, but almost immediately after their inauguration, it became clear that they were more symbolic than effective. Initially, the Delhi government failed to pay salaries to staff at smog towers. Later, it was found that only one tower was functioning. Eventually, it was revealed that the towers had almost no impact on the pollution problem. The smog towers turned out to be just another example of wasted taxpayer money.

Where are the experts?

Every year brings a new, ineffective experiment, and every year, we’re back to square one. The lack of accountability, planning, and research in addressing Delhi’s smog problem is evident. From crop management funds to smog towers, crores of taxpayer rupees have gone up in smoke, quite literally.

Given the failure of these many experiments, the question that needs to be asked is: Do we even know the root cause of Delhi’s smog? Shouldn’t there be a comprehensive study to determine what’s driving the capital’s pollution problem?

These initiatives are being launched without a clear understanding of the root causes of pollution. We’re simply experimenting with public money, hoping something will stick, leading to a wasteful cycle of trial and error with little to no accountability for the outcomes.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly emphasised the need for scientific and holistic solutions rather than gimmicky projects. The authorities are shooting arrows in the dark, implementing hasty, poorly researched measures with no long-term results.

The need of the hour is not another quick-fix solution or political stunt, but a serious investigation of the underlying causes of Delhi’s smog. We need environmental scientists, urban planners, and meteorologists working together to identify the factors contributing to this crisis. Without first diagnosing the problem, how can we hope to fix it?

A smoggy future without accountability

Delhi’s smog crisis has become an unsolvable mystery. It’s time for the government to shift from these ad-hoc experiments to a well-researched, scientifically backed approach.

As the air thickens once again this year, it is clear that until the government stops wasting taxpayer money on short-term, knee-jerk solutions and invests in real research, Delhi will remain a gas chamber, with no clear way out.

Anu Lall is an author and founder of YogaSmith. She is a lawyer and has worked in the pharmaceutical and technology industry in Asia, the USA, and Europe. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.