Air pollution, especially in the national capital Delhi, continues to make headlines, and successive governments have failed to come up with a comprehensive and coherent strategy to address the problem.
Studies by reputed organisations, including The Lancet, estimate that lakhs of people die due to long-term exposure to polluted air.
The government, however, adamantly maintains that there is no conclusive data establishing a direct correlation between deaths or diseases occurring exclusively due to air pollution.
This is a serious issue that requires a better response and carefully thought-through messaging.
Data, along with the lived experience of millions, proves beyond doubt that air quality is hazardous for prolonged periods, with people experiencing its unpleasant and harmful consequences daily.
In its anxiety to quell growing public dissatisfaction over its failure, the ruling party often resorts to unethical data manipulation and other widely reported questionable practices.
When in opposition, the BJP demanded radical measures from those in power; in government, it has tended instead towards headline management, meaningless symbolic actions, and performative gestures.
A few facts are beyond question. India ranks among the most polluted countries in the world in terms of particulate matter levels.
Cities such as Delhi, particularly during winter, regularly report dangerous air quality. It is also well established that high levels of air pollution cause and exacerbate respiratory diseases.
Not only academic studies but clinicians, too, have reported a steady increase in the number of people seeking treatment for respiratory ailments.
The scale of the problem is equally alarming. Whether India’s share of Asia’s pollution-related health burden is as high as indicated by The Lancet cannot be used to dismiss public concern.
Acceptance is the first step towards solutions, yet governments in recent times have shown a growing reluctance to accept unvarnished truths.
It is not that the government has made no attempt to address the issue. Over the years, authorities have put in place a relatively evolved governance framework and a range of regulatory measures.
In Delhi, these include the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) and the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
There is also the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which focuses on measures such as controlling vehicular emissions and dust, strengthening monitoring networks, and spreading public awareness, with the aim of achieving a 40% reduction in particulate matter levels.
However, the government failed to meet the pollution-control targets set under NCAP for 2024, forcing a revision of the deadline to 2026. Experts remain sceptical about achieving even these revised targets.
First and foremost, the government must be transparent and honest in acknowledging both the existence of the problem and its true scale. Second, instead of manipulating data, it should consolidate fragmented datasets and use them for evidence-based policymaking. Third, it must resist the temptation to “manage” public perception and instead focus on quietly implementing plans and delivering tangible, measurable results that citizens can actually see and experience.
To achieve meaningful progress, the government must address emissions from polluting factories, strengthen solid waste management systems, and overhaul urban infrastructure. Rather than reinventing the wheel, it would do well to replicate successful strategies adopted by countries such as the United States and China, adapting them to Indian conditions.