Action plan for Delhi

Pollution requires a holistic response

Diwali firecrackers create extreme pollution once a year; crop burning emits extreme levels of pollutants for about a month every year, but construction, industrial power, and transport sources combine to create very high levels of pollution throughout the year in Delhi. 

While the judiciary has been partly successful in eliminating the use of polluting firecrackers every Diwali, its impact on banning crop stubble burning has been unsuccessful. At the same time, the impact of efforts to reduce year-round pollution also appears to be marginal. While the Central government has maintained a remarkable silence on the matter, the state governments in