Clean-up act: Why Delhi has consistently failed to make its air breathable

Experts say a China-like approach is needed with neighbouring states working alongside it

A “gas chamber” is how Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had described the city in November 2017 as air pollution hit severe levels. Five years later, while the number of "severe" days might have fallen, for the national capital, poor and very poor air quality days have been a given – despite emergency measures such as temporarily banning construction, or diesel and old petrol vehicles from roads, or shutting down industries.

This winter, too, Delhi’s air is far from breathable. The city remains India’s most polluted.

The National Capital Region’s air quality index (AQI) was in the “Very Poor” category