ABOVE: © ISTOCK, URBANCOW
Delhi has been ranked the most-polluted megacity for many years in a row by the World Health Organization’s annual list of dirtiest metropolises. The capital city has received criticism for not doing enough against the air pollution: its residents have marched for their right to breathe; its elected chief minister has called the city a “gas chamber”; airlines have cancelled their inbound flights to Delhi; and doctors have declared the city to be in a state of a medical emergency.
The city government has responded with policy efforts, including a dedicated “green budget” in recent years. It’s then puzzling why Delhi remains trapped in this unenviable distinction. As part of my research, I have documented how Delhi’s policies have squarely failed to check worsening air quality. The reason lies in less understood, rarely debated scientific factors—specifically, gaps in the identification of pollution sources, complex meteorology, and ...
