The truth beyond festivals: Air pollution is a year-round crisis in Indian cities

                      The truth beyond festivals: Air pollution is a year-round crisis in Indian cities

(Air pollution in India is often considered a Diwali or winter problem, but it is a persistent and structural challenge that can only be addressed through a long-term approach and citizen participation.)

In most Indian cities, air pollution is mistakenly considered a seasonal or festival-specific problem. The discussion fades after Diwali or winter, while the sources of pollution – vehicles, industry, construction dust, and stubble burning – remain active throughout the year. This temporary thinking also leads to reactive policies. India must adopt a long-term, scientific and behavioral-based strategy that combines clean energy, public transport, sustainable agriculture, industrial reform, and citizen participation to make clean air a universal right.

Air pollution in Indian cities today is not just an environmental problem, but a profound threat to health, economy, and social stability. Every year, as winter approaches or the festival of Diwali approaches, the discussion about air pollution suddenly intensifies across the country. Images of smog and smoke fill news channels, newspapers and social media. For a few weeks, people wear masks, governments make emergency plans, and then the issue is slowly forgotten. This trend - treating pollution as a seasonal problem that lasts only a few days - is actually the biggest mistake of all. Because air pollution in India is not a temporary or limited problem for festivals, but a multi-source, multi-sectoral challenge that persists throughout the year.

Air quality in most Indian cities remains poor throughout the year. According to the World Air Quality Report 2024, nine of the ten most polluted cities in the world are in India, including Delhi, Ghaziabad, Bhiwadi, Faridabad and Ludhiana. Delhi's average PM 2.5 level was found to be eighteen times higher than the World Health Organization limit. Blaming it solely on firecrackers during Diwali hides the true extent of the problem. The main causes of pollution are active throughout the year – vehicular emissions, industrial emissions, construction dust, burning of garbage and stubble, particulate matter from thermal power plants, and domestic fuel use.

Treating the problem as purely seasonal also leads to reactive policies. Governments only take action when pollution reaches its peak. Schools are closed for a few days, odd-even schemes for vehicles are implemented, firecrackers are banned, or construction activities are temporarily halted. These measures provide temporary relief but do not address the root causes. As soon as the weather changes, all policies become ineffective. This approach is to postpone the problem, not to solve it.

The effects of air pollution are not limited to just a few weeks. They affect our bodies throughout the year. According to the World Health Organization, about 1.7 million people die prematurely in India every year due to air pollution. A study by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences found that cases of asthma, allergies and lung diseases among children in Delhi have increased by 10 to 15 percent year-on-year. This proves that the effects of pollution are not seasonal but permanent.

It also has a serious impact on the economy. A 2023 World Bank report shows that India loses more than a tenth of its gross domestic product every year due to air pollution. Lost working days, increased health costs, reduced productivity and increased medical burden all affect the country's economic progress.

When it comes to sources of air pollution, the transport sector is the biggest culprit. India has millions of vehicles on the roads, most of which run on petrol or diesel. Old trucks and buses emit a considerable amount of smoke. The number of small vehicles is so high that their emissions are continuously increasing the amount of nitrogen oxides and fine particles in the air. The industrial sector also contributes significantly to pollution. Many small and medium-sized industries still do not use clean fuels. Old boilers and coal-fired plants emit sulfur dioxide and metal particles.

Dust from construction activities also contributes to widespread pollution. Open soil on roads, open piles of construction materials, and the transportation of sand and cement in covered trucks release particles into the air. Similarly, stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana poisons the air in cities in North India every year. Research suggests that stubble burning increases pollution levels in Delhi and surrounding areas by 30 to 40 percent.

Burning household fuels such as wood, coal, or dung cakes also contributes significantly to pollution levels, especially in poor households. Coal-fired power plants still provide about 60 percent of the country’s energy, and many of these older plants operate without pollution control equipment.

Controlling all these sources requires a long-term vision for policy and governance. Lack of coordination between the central, state, and municipal governments remains a major obstacle. Many cities lack air quality monitoring stations