Delhi’s severe air pollution cannot be addressed by restricting vehicle access, regulating construction and stopping stubble burning alone, experts say. Effective action will require emission-reduction targets for every major sector, cooperation across northern India and stronger controls on pollutants that form in the atmosphere.
“If we want to reduce pollution, we need to set targets for all sectors, including power generation, industry and transportation, not just vehicle access, construction and stubble burning,” said Manoj Kumar, an analyst at the Center for Energy and Clean Air Research.
“We know how much each sector and each state contributes to pollution. We can set targets to reduce emissions from each sector over the next five years.”
Pollution comes from multiple sources
Voss points out that secondary pollutants receive too little attention. These pollutants form when gases in the air react with sunlight, water vapor and other substances, creating harmful particles and contributing to pollution.
“Pollution is not just caused by biomass burning or vehicles,” he says. “Dust kicked up from the ground, coal and fly ash, materials burned in brick kilns, and large-scale incineration of municipal waste also contribute to the problem, and much of it remains unstopped.”
Delhi’s pollution is also affected by emissions from outside the city. Pollutants flow into Delhi from neighboring states and other parts of northern India, exacerbating the situation, Boss said.
That limits what Delhi can achieve on its own. Neighboring states and the wider northern region need to work together to tackle the problem, he added.
Health risks remain severe
Meanwhile, pollution affects people’s health every day. During winter, government monitoring stations in Delhi frequently record air quality index (AQI) readings above 300, a level classified as “very poor.”
On particularly bad days, readings can reach 500, the highest point on the Indian scale. This does not mean pollution cannot rise further; it means national trackers are no longer recording higher levels. International trackers such as Switzerland-based IQAir have recorded measurements close to 1,000 on some days.
The World Health Organization recommends that average PM2.5 concentrations over 24 hours should not exceed 15 micrograms per cubic meter. In Delhi, concentrations often exceed 25 times that limit during pollution seasons.
Dr. Manoj Goel, head of the respiratory department at Fortis Memorial Institute near Delhi, said the small particles “can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, causing inflammation and affecting multiple organs.”
Even short-term exposure can cause throat irritation, coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. It can also worsen existing heart or lung conditions.
A 2025 report from the University of Chicago Energy Policy Institute estimates that air pollution could reduce life expectancy in Delhi by up to 8.2 years.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
