Breathing Poison: Delhi Air Quality Crisis Worsens as Governments Play Blame Games: I’m talking about Jahar Jahar, the poisonous air in Delhi. I’m Talking About The Annual Pollution Season In North India. Pollution has crossed all records this week, with toxic smog in Delhi. Delhi people have known there is poison in your air for many years.
Just look at this headline from 2017—the Guardian. – Delhi doctors declare pollution emergency as smog chokes city
Read 2017 News: About Air Pollution: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/07/delhi-india-declares-pollution-emergency-as-smog-chokes-city
Breathing in daily air is equivalent to smoking 44 cigarettes a day. Yes, breathing in Delhi is like smoking 40 cigarettes. It’s so many cigarettes that you can’t even hold them in your mouth. But now we are in 2024 with a worse situation. The governments are chilling in the war showroom with Branded Media for playing blame games.
People are now talking about pollution by breathing in, breathing out, and making memes and jokes about it. What option do people have when the act of breathing becomes mortal?
A Dark Joke for Them. You will have to forget the clean air after coming to Delhi, NCR.
Today, election results in Maharashtra and Jharkhand will be breaking news. Pollution has gone to hell.
What difference does it make? Because people don’t care about clean air, water, etc. They just want—I am an NDA supporter. I am an INDIA supporter.
So we are blindfolded. If you die of lung cancer or have a heart attack, who wins all this? The biggest news item going on this morning is that the exit polls have given NDA He won in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, and whoever wins or loses, TV news experts will be ready to give you full knowledge. Whoever wins or loses.
Now coming to the point. A private company that collects AQI data called IQ Er Daily AQI reached 1700. For the Government of India, pollution can’t be this much. The official Central Pollution Control Board readings cap at 500, which means pollution daily at all times just maxes out at 500.
The logic is that for India, any reading between 451 and 500 is severe, and it means the government has to take the strictest actions to contain it. That’s it; the matter ends there. After this, there is a difference between 500 to 600, 600 to 800, and 800 to 1700; there is no difference; there is something wrong.
My mind has stopped working. At the time of recording, this shows the daily poison level was at 314, and in Lahore, the AQI is at 259, 314. They are above the healthy level. You and your kids can die of breathing air, but you know that this will continue in mainstream media news (Bhaijaan, Burka, Jihad News).
“This BJP has won in Maharashtra, “Oho,” what’s the color of India? Elias Rahul Jago.”
Why do mainstream media forget about the air pollution and Yamuna pollution issues?
Delhi has very bad air, and the Yamuna River has the same issue, but now everyone has just shut their mouth and closed their eyes. You hear, but Delhi’s QI is 500, and Pakistan’s QI is 1900. You are looking at the picture of a QI of 1900. Just tune in; nothing is visible.
The official Central Pollution Control Board readings cap at 500, which means pollution daily at all times just maxes out at 500. The logic is that for India, any reading between 451 and 500 is severe, and it means the government has to take the strictest actions to contain it.
That’s it; the matter ends there. After this, there is a difference between 500 to 600, 600 to 800, and 800 to 1700; there is no difference; there is something wrong, so we have to do the same thing that we do on 500.
Nowadays, zero pollution is shown in mainstream media. If you are tired of TV news nonsense, then watch leaders blame games on each other. News pollution—yes, we have seen that for many years, just like air pollution. Now, when it comes to bad air, the focus every year is Delhi, but the fact is that no city in the plains of Northern India has decent air quality, leaving India, even Pakistan, affected.
The Delhi government is the only one implementing the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). However, the Supreme Court has raised concerns, stating, “You have delayed its implementation significantly.” In response, the Delhi government clarified:
“We don’t impose GRAP; the Central Government does. Our role is only to implement it.”
This quick shift in stance sparked reactions, with some calling it one of the fastest U-turns in recent history. Comparisons were even drawn to Arvind Kejriwal’s earlier statement that he wouldn’t join politics.
To clarify, while the Central Government imposes GRAP, its implementation lies with the states. The Supreme Court, however, criticized the Delhi government for delays in executing the plan.
Blame Game vs. Accountability
The issue of “impose versus implement” has triggered political mudslinging. The BJP continues to question the Delhi government, which, in turn, blames the BJP. Meanwhile, the people of Delhi remain caught in the middle, grappling with hazardous air pollution.
Stubble Burning: A Piece of the Puzzle
Stubble burning is a major contributor to Delhi’s winter pollution but far from the only one. While it garners significant attention, other local factors play an equally vital role. Delhi’s air quality started deteriorating about 10 days before Diwali. Initially, local sources like industrial emissions, construction dust, waste burning, and road dust were the primary contributors.
Between October 12 and November 3, vehicular emissions accounted for 51.5% of Delhi’s pollution, while stubble burning contributed only 8%. However, during the last week, shifting wind patterns and increased farm fires pushed stubble burning’s contribution to 40%, highlighting its growing impact.
Stubble-burning incidents Incidents Across States
From September 15 to November 17, data revealed:
- Punjab: ~8,000 incidents
- Haryana: ~1,000 incidents
- Uttar Pradesh: ~3,000 incidents
- Delhi: 12 incidents
- Rajasthan: ~2,000 incidents
- Madhya Pradesh: Over 10,000 incidents (the highest among all states)
This underscores the need for coordinated efforts involving all six states, the Central Government, and the Ministry of Environment to devise a sustainable solution for Delhi and North India’s pollution crisis.
For effective pollution control, a multi-pronged approach is essential:
- Reduce municipal waste burning within Delhi.
- Control vehicular emissions by limiting the number of vehicles on the road.
- Minimize construction dust with stricter guidelines.
- Ensure proper treatment and regulation of industrial emissions.
Impact of Pollution
Air pollution poses severe health risks, especially to children, pregnant women, and those with pre-existing conditions.
- Children: increased risk of decreased lung capacity and chronic respiratory diseases.
- Pregnant women: higher likelihood of premature births and birth-related complications.
A Collective Responsibility
Governments at all levels must prioritize public health over politics. Unfortunately, the lack of proactive measures—like the Environment Minister’s silence on the matter—raises doubts about their commitment.
Year-Round Issue
While winter pollution garners the most attention, cities across North India face dirty air year-round. According to government data, India’s most polluted cities include:
- Bahadurgarh, Haryana
- Hajipur, Bihar
- Delhi
- Gurgaon, Haryana
- Sonipat, Haryana
The responsibility for tackling this crisis lies with every government, both state and central. However, media scrutiny on holding authorities accountable remains scarce.
