Pollution Chokes Delhi While the 'Wisest Among Us' Sit Calmly

Does anybody even give a care in Delhi about the air pollution that descends upon us every year at this time? It seems not many of us do. This city is home to 802 central lawmakers; add to that another 70 lawmakers of the state assembly. These powerful men and women don’t seem to mind breathing this “hazardous” air that fills the corridors of power as much for most months of the year.

The country’s highest law officers, the wisest among us all, the Supreme Court judges, live in New Delhi and breathe poisonous air. Why don’t our honourable fellow residents take suo-moto actions to stem the stench that passes through their nostrils every day, damaging their respiratory systems when they go and sit in their courts dispensing justice?

Both the elected and the selected in the House of Representatives are rather generous when it comes to giving themselves better perks. Then why is it that they don’t perk themselves with healthy air that they can breathe in the capital? Air is unlike water, which you can filter for your own consumption and not bother about what the rest are drinking.  Both the elected and the selected in the House of Representatives are rather generous when it comes to giving themselves better perks. Then why is it that they don’t perk themselves with healthy air that they can breathe in the capital? Air is unlike water, which you can filter for your own consumption and not bother about what the rest are drinking.  

The BJP bhakts see raising the air pollution topic as a toolkit to tarnish India’s chavi. The kum-bhakts, too, remain mostly in denial. We dismiss air pollution as a problem that only the expat community of Delhi fears about. Like we talked during the early COVID months, when more people in the West were dying than in India, and we gloated about our superior immunity. The second COVID wave proved to the contrary. On severe AQI levels, we think our stronger immunities, aided by placing a few potted plants in our living rooms, will do the trick for now. 

 When the sun in the north of Vindhyas has just begun to reveal its warmer side over its merciless scorching self for months, smoke gaze hangs between us and the sky like an impending doomsday. Enjoying a crisp winter sun is in rain god's mercy when the smoke gets temporarily washed away. Until such day, what remains of the comfort of the Delhi winter sun are lived memories nostalgically captured in the verses of Gulzar, Jaadan ki narm dhoop Aur aangan mein let kar…Aundhe pade rahen Kabhi karwat liye huye. 

 The good news through this smoky fog is that Punjab has recorded a considerable drop in farm fires this year. However, the Delhi NCR region negated the results on the Diwali night. We chose to save our Sanatan that night. The immediate result is we are back gasping under an envelope of smoke and dust. With the temperatures receding sharply soon, you may need to cut the hanging smog with a knife to pass it in the coming days.  

Delhi state elections are around the corner. Will the three main parties, AAP, BJP, and the Congress, include the air quality of Delhi in their manifestos? Doesn’t the air quality adversely affect the health and lives of vote banks — the majorities, the minorities, the backwards, the women, the first-timers, and so on? 

 The answer is that it does, but within parentheses, air quality doesn’t rank anywhere on the electorate's priority list. Therefore, air quality in Delhi will remain hazardous for most of the year. The citizens of Delhi have failed themselves by not making enough noise about the air quality it breathes.