Delhi now a gas chamber

Crop burning should be addressed

Delhi’s air quality deteriorates with unfailing regularity at this time of the year, with large swathes of north India in the grip of suffocating smog, but the state governments that can make it easier for millions to breathe do not act with any sense of urgency. The smog that envelopes the region is exacerbated by the burning of biomass in Punjab and Haryana, and the winter atmosphere is marked by weak ventilation. An analysis of local sources by IIT-Kanpur last year pointed to construction dust, vehicular pollution, and domestic and industrial emissions as other major factors. A comprehensive solution demands that the governments of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, assisted by the Centre, address farm residue burning and construction dust.

Automation of farm operations leaves root-bound crop waste after machine harvesting, running to millions of tonnes, requiring a solution of scale. Sustainable residue removal cannot be achieved by the farmers alone, and requires help from the state machinery. The national capital needs a major greening effort. Shifting more of the city’s travel to comfortable public transport can cut fine particulates in congested areas and improve the air for residents. Only a determined response to the crisis can spare Delhi of its infamous tag as one of the most polluted cities on the planet.