Can the weather really be blamed for the current pollution crisis in the capital, and how much? Sunita Narain and Anumita Roy Chowdhury of the Centre for Science and Environment discuss Delhi’s toxic smog, and point out that the westerly winds and Punjab crop burning are temporary factors causing the accumulation of particulate matter in the atmosphere.
They list four major activities that are choking Delhiites. They say that pollution needs to be tackled not with short-term emergency measures, which have already been in place for the last few days, but by aggressive long-term actions such as augmentation of public transport, incentivising natural gas, disciplining road construction and having a proper mechanism to get rid of waste.
Here’s what they say:

Courtesy: CSE