Odds and evens: New Delhi is exploring every fix for its air pollution problem
New Delhi’s old problem
Early winter has rolled around again, bringing a now-common fact of life for New Delhi's 33 million residents: a lot of bad air. Indeed, India’s capital has been breaching the 450 mark on the Air Quality Index — over 4x the “healthy” level — as routine crop burning mixed with colder temperatures continues to blight the city.
The perfect storm of nearby farmers torching plants in early November and cold weather trapping particles from the blaze has plagued New Delhi for decades, but this year has seen some of the worst air quality postings since 2020. On Saturday, for example, State Department data showed that air quality around the US embassy in the capital hit 542, deep into the “hazardous” zone.
Odds and evens
Breathing in the New Delhi air is akin to smoking 25-30 cigarettes a day, according to some lung doctors, and the city, often ranked as one of the most polluted in the world, has been forced to take precautions. Schools are closed until the 10th and the ongoing Cricket World Cup, currently being played in the capital, has seen matches shrouded in smog. Interestingly, the government is also implementing an “odd-even” system for road users — vehicles with registrations ending in odd numbers can only drive on odd-numbered dates and vice versa — from Monday 13th, in a further effort to curb the ongoing issue.
