NEW DELHI , The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi reached 450 on Tuesday, 30 times the World Health Organization's safe limit. For context, an AQI above 300 is considered 'hazardous', the air is so toxic that everyone, even healthy people, should avoid going outside. But in Delhi, 20 million people have no choice. They must breathe this poison.
Dr. Arvind Kumar, a lung surgeon at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, has been operating on Delhi's residents for 30 years. 'When I started, I would see one or two lung cancer cases in non-smokers per year,' he says. 'Now I see two or three every week. The pollution is literally killing us.'
The numbers are devastating. According to a study by the Lancet, air pollution kills 30,000 people in Delhi every year. That's 82 deaths per day. That's more than the number of people killed in terrorist attacks in the last decade. But there are no protests. No outrage. No action.
Priya Sharma, a 28-year-old mother of two, watches her 5-year-old son struggle to breathe every morning. 'He wakes up coughing. His eyes are red. He can't play outside. The doctor says his lungs are damaged, permanently. He's 5 years old, and his future is already destroyed.'
The causes are well-known: vehicle emissions (40%), industrial pollution (25%), construction dust (15%), and waste burning (12%). The solutions are also well-known: better public transport, cleaner industries, dust control, waste management. But nothing changes. Why?
Because the politicians who make promises during elections are the same politicians who own the industries that pollute. Because the bureaucrats who should enforce environmental laws are the same bureaucrats who take bribes to ignore violations. Because the citizens who should demand action are the same citizens who are too busy surviving to fight.
But here's what they don't tell you: pollution doesn't just kill. It destroys. It destroys children's futures. It destroys families' savings (medical costs). It destroys the economy (productivity loss). It destroys the nation itself.
The cost of Delhi's pollution is ₹2.5 lakh crore annually, more than the defense budget. But we don't see it. We don't count it. We don't fight it. We just breathe it. And we die.
The problem is not just in Delhi. It's across India. 14 of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in India. Kanpur, Faridabad, Varanasi, Gaya, Patna, all have air quality worse than Delhi. But Delhi gets the attention because it's the capital. The rest of India suffers in silence.
The health impact is catastrophic. According to the State of Global Air report, 1.67 million Indians died from air pollution in 2019. That's more than deaths from smoking, more than deaths from alcohol, more than deaths from unsafe water. Air pollution is India's biggest killer. But we don't treat it like one.
Children are the worst affected. A study by the Centre for Science and Environment found that 2.2 million children in Delhi have irreversible lung damage. They will never have healthy lungs. They will never be able to play sports. They will never be able to live normal lives. Their futures are destroyed before they even begin.
The economic cost is staggering. Air pollution costs India ₹2.5 lakh crore annually in lost productivity, medical expenses, and premature deaths. That's 1.4% of GDP. That's more than what we spend on education. That's more than what we spend on healthcare. But we don't see it. We don't count it. We don't fight it.
The causes are well-documented. Vehicle emissions contribute 40% of Delhi's pollution. There are 10 million vehicles in Delhi. Most run on diesel. Most are old. Most don't meet emission standards. But we don't regulate them. We don't replace them. We just let them pollute.
Industrial pollution contributes 25%. There are thousands of factories around Delhi. Most don't have pollution control equipment. Most don't follow environmental laws. Most pay bribes to avoid inspections. But we don't shut them down. We don't fine them. We just let them pollute.
Construction dust contributes 15%. There are construction sites everywhere. Most don't cover their materials. Most don't use water to suppress dust. Most don't follow guidelines. But we don't enforce them. We don't penalize them. We just let them pollute.
Waste burning contributes 12%. People burn garbage because there's no proper waste management. The government doesn't collect garbage. The government doesn't process garbage. The government doesn't care. So people burn it. And we all breathe it.
The solutions are simple. Better public transport. Electric vehicles. Cleaner industries. Dust control. Waste management. But nothing happens. Why? Because the politicians who should implement solutions are the same politicians who own polluting industries. Because the bureaucrats who should enforce laws are the same bureaucrats who take bribes to ignore violations.
Take the case of the odd-even scheme. It was implemented to reduce vehicle emissions. It worked. Air quality improved. But it was stopped. Why? Because it was inconvenient. Because people complained. Because politicians cared more about votes than lives.
Or take the case of industrial pollution. The Supreme Court ordered industries to move out of Delhi. Some moved. Most didn't. Why? Because they had political connections. Because they paid bribes. Because the system protects them.
But here's what they don't tell you: pollution doesn't just kill. It destroys. It destroys children's futures. It destroys families' savings. It destroys the economy. It destroys the nation. And we let it happen. We accept it. We normalize it. We die from it.
The solution is not in the hands of politicians. It's in our hands. It's in demanding action. It's in refusing to accept pollution. It's in using our power, the power of 1.4 billion people, to force change. But until that happens, we'll keep breathing poison. We'll keep dying. And the politicians will keep making speeches.