Each winter, Delhi slips back into a familiar emergency. A thick blanket of toxic smog settles over the city, visibility reduces, schools shut, flights are disrupted, and hospitals report a surge in respiratory illnesses. Temporary measures are rolled out in the form of construction bans, vehicle restrictions, and appeals to work from home, but they fail to convert into lasting solutions.
The national capital’s air quality crisis is not unique. Cities across the Indo-Gangetic plain in northern and eastern India, from Lucknow to Varanasi, experience similar winter pollution spikes. Outside India, cities such as Tehran in Iran and Lahore in Pakistan also struggle with seasonal smog driven by geography, weather and emissions. What makes Delhi stand out is the severity, persistence, and scale of its pollution, and how little improvement has been achieved despite years of emergency responses.
