Delhi’s Air Emergency: Why the City Is Running Out of Breath

In Delhi, mornings no longer begin with clear skies. They begin with a blanket of grey smog that has slowly become the city’s unwanted identity. For years now, Delhi has ranked among the world’s most polluted capitals, with Air Quality Index readings frequently crossing hazardous levels.

During peak winter months, breathing in Delhi can be equivalent to smoking 20 to 30 cigarettes a day, according to multiple health studies. This is not an occasional crisis; it is a year-after-year reality. The discomfort is visible in everyday life. Children wear masks not because of a pandemic, but because polluted air has become normal. Elderly people struggle with breathing. Hospitals report a sharp rise in respiratory illnesses every winter.

AIIMS and other medical institutions routinely observe 25 to 30 percent increases in cases of asthma, bronchitis and lung infections whenever pollution peaks. Air that should sustain life is now harming it. Delhi’s toxic air is the result of many long-standing factors. The city has more than one crore registered vehicles, and vehicular emissions remain one of the biggest contributors to PM2.5 levels. Construction dust adds another significant share, often around 25 to 30 percent, according to CPCB assessments.

Seasonal stubble burning across neighbouring states causes massive spikes in pollution every year, turning Delhi into a gas chamber for weeks. Firecrackers during festivals release heavy metals such as lead, barium and aluminium into the air, worsening the already unstable mix. The consequences extend beyond human health.

Trees look grey and choked. Birds struggle to breathe and migrate. Visibility drops to the point where even the sun appears tired and distant. A study published in The Lancet estimated that air pollution contributes to over a million premature deaths in India every year, and Delhi remains one of the highest-risk zones.

Government responses have varied from strict construction bans to odd-even road schemes and anti-pollution drives. But experts agree that policies alone are not enough. The Central Pollution Control Board notes that everyday citizen behaviour can influence nearly 10 to 15 percent of urban emissions, proving that individual responsibility is essential.

This means choosing public transport or carpooling whenever possible, refusing to burn waste, shifting to eco-friendly products and planting more trees. Even simple habits like reducing idling in traffic or avoiding unnecessary car use make a difference. Change begins at home, long before it reaches public policy.

Delhi does not need sympathy; it needs participation. Clean air cannot be restored in a single winter, but it can be reclaimed through consistent, collective effort. The air we save today is the breath our children will inherit tomorrow. The question is not whether Delhi can survive air pollution. The real question is whether we are willing to act before the crisis becomes irreversible.

By Amisha Pathak, TVRJ, Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication