Northern India, particularly Delhi and the NCR region, is grappling with choking air. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 14 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world were in India as of 2018, with Delhi often leading the charts for PM2.5 concentrations. The winter of 2023 painted a grim picture, with Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) frequently surpassing 400—the “hazardous” threshold—and touching over 500 during peak episodes. This year is much worse, with AQI remaining above 500 for prolonged periods.
These conditions aren’t just an environmental concern but a public health emergency. A 2023 study by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) found that air pollution reduces life expectancy in Delhi by an alarming 11.9 years, with the average northern Indian losing 5.3 years to chronic exposure.