In Delhi, residents are unpacking air purifiers alongside festival decorations as winter approaches. India's capital suffers from dangerous air pollution every year when falling temperatures and slower winds trap smoke, vehicle emissions, and dust close to the ground. This year, the city government introduced its Winter Action Plan before the worst smog arrived, attempting to respond earlier than in previous years.
The new measures limit the entry of older, highly polluting vehicles from outside the city and temporarily ban outdoor construction work that creates dust. Officials have also doubled parking fees, asked offices to allow half of their employees to work from home, and restricted the use of diesel generators and coal. In past years, authorities often waited to act until air quality was already unbearable, so experts welcomed the early timing.
However, environmental experts warn that city rules alone cannot solve the crisis. A large portion of the toxic smoke travels into Delhi from crop burning, factories, and brick kilns in neighbouring states across northern India. Parthaa Bosu, an adviser at the Environmental Defense Fund, noted that planning is only useful if it is properly enforced, adding that neighbouring states must cooperate to reduce emissions together.
Meanwhile, a grey haze is already hanging over the city, leaving residents with coughing and irritated eyes. Government monitoring stations frequently record pollution readings above 300, which is classified as "very poor," and levels often rise to more than 25 times the safety limit set by the World Health Organization. For many local families, staying indoors with air filters remains the only protection against the toxic air.