Editorial 1: Losing the plot

Context

The air quality crisis demands citizen engagement, not intimidation.

Introduction

North India’s worsening air pollution has become a deep governance crisis rather than a seasonal issue. The peaceful India Gate gathering, met with heavy policing, shows rising public demand for accountability. With toxic air stretching from Islamabad to Bihar, it is clear that fragmented institutions and temporary fixes can no longer manage a problem rooted in a shared airshed.

Public Concern Over Air Pollution

• On November 24, a small, peaceful gathering near India Gate expressed worry about Delhi’s Air Quality Index nearing 400.
• The Delhi government responded with a heavy police deployment, raising the question:
  Was the aim public safety or preventing political embarrassment?

The Bigger Picture: A Shared Airshed

• Winter pollution in North India is often treated as a Delhi-specific issue.
• Ground monitoring shows a continuous belt of polluted air stretching from Islamabad to Bihar.
• Pollution sources — industry, power plants, transport, and agriculture — spread emissions across this shared region.
• This makes the India Gate protest politically important, signalling growing public frustration.

Changing Public Attitudes vs. State Response

• Traditionally, Delhi’s middle class coped by using air purifiers, shutting windows, travelling, or silently tolerating the problem.
• This pattern appears to be shifting, shown by public demonstrations.
• The government’s reaction and deploying the Rapid Action Force also indicates it views the issue as law-and-order, not governance or public engagement.

India’s Larger Air Pollution Crisis

• North India’s winter smog is just the most visible part of a nationwide pollution challenge.
• Long-term studies like the Air Quality Life Index show that unsafe air is normal for most Indians.
• Present systems for regulation, monitoring, and enforcement are inadequate across multiple States and sectors.
• Treating pollution as a seasonal emergency instead of a permanent problem needing permanent institutionsleads only to short-term, ineffective actions.

Institutional Fragmentation

• Authority is split across central ministries, State departments, municipal bodies, and specialised regulators - each with limited jurisdiction and conflicting incentives.
• The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) was created to overcome this fragmentation.
• Although CAQM has powers to coordinate, regulate, and penalise, its actions have not matched the magnitude of the crisis.

What CAQM and Governments Must Do

• Use CAQM’s mandate to demand time-bound plans from governments and major emitters.
• Ensure continuous monitoring and public disclosure of data.
• Shift away from quick technical fixes that drain funds but leave major polluters untouched.
• Focus on core sectors:
  • Power plants: retire or retrofit polluting units
  • Industry: stricter norms and real enforcement
  • Transport: cleaner fuel, better transit systems
  • Construction: dust control and compliance
  • Agriculture: real alternatives to stubble burning

The Way Forward

• These sector-focused solutions need time but are the only path to lasting change.
• Progress requires a bold political vision, not heavy-handed policing.
• The airshed must be the primary governance unit for effective, long-term air quality management.

Conclusion

Lasting relief from hazardous air requires bold political commitment, not reactive enforcement or cosmetic measures. Stronger regulatory institutions, sectoral reforms, and health-focused action are essential. Real progress demands coordinated, long-term efforts across the airshed. India must shift from emergency responses to sustained governance if it hopes to achieve cleaner air and rebuild public trust.