Will Delhi’s air pollution be the same this winter?

Spells of unseasonal rain this week have kept Delhi’s air quality index in the “moderate” or “satisfactory” category. But the reprieve may not last long.

With chill in the air, winter has announced its arrival. But will Delhi-NCR suffer another prolonged episode of smog this winter too? What has changed or remained the same regarding air pollution?

Under its Fight to Breathe campaign, Newlaundry held a roundtable with four experts: Sunil Dahiya, founder of Environcatalyst; journalist Nivedita Khandekar; Vimlendu Jha, founder of Swechha India; and Bhavreen Khandari, co-founder of Warrior Moms.

“This is 2025, and I don’t think it’s going to be any different from what 2024 was or perhaps what 2015 was. Unfortunately, our notes are not going to be different from last year; the statistics more or less remain the same. Maybe there’ll be a notch less, notch more of air pollution, but largely it’s the same story every year,” said Jha.

The panel answered Newslaundry’s questions on what is making Delhi’s air toxic, the government’s response to it, the health impact, a “license” to pollute by thermal power plants, the robustness of public transport, and why farmers are burning farm residue.

Watch.

This show is part of a collaborative campaign to tackle air pollution. Here’s how you can join the Fight To Breathe. Click here to power this campaign.