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Karsyn Elmore

Mr. Phillips

AP English 4th

13 December 2019

Air Pollution in New Delhi: Take a Deep Breath

India’s New Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world. The country is home to

22 of the top 30 most polluted cities, according to a study by Greenpeace and AirVisual 2018

World Air Quality Report (Pokharel). Every winter New Delhi farmers burn their crops to make

room for a new harvest, causing smoke to settle over India putting many at risk for exposure to

air contamination. In addition, the annual Hindu Festival of Lights contaminates the air after

setting off fireworks. The New Delhi government and political leaders have taken little action to

prevent polluted air from affecting the Indian population. Because of this issue, the high levels of

polluted air in New Delhi are becoming a major risk to the health and living conditions of its

residents.

The deadly polluted air has caused many residents in New Delhi to develop illnesses.

Siddharth Singh, a resident of a satellite city of Delhi, reports that many people have developed

allergy-like symptoms. Singh describes the air as “smell[ing] like burning leaves.” He also says,

“Many people have a persistent dry cough and itchy eyes. Everything is hazy, so the eyes don’t

focus on objects in the distance” (qtd. In Pokharel). Another Delhi resident, Reem Idokhar,

claims that the air smells awful and her sinuses are making her miserable. She notes that

pollution has grown much worse in recent years (Thiagarajan). Another resident, Mohammad

Islam, is forced to miss several hours of work every day due to his chronic cough. Islam states, “I
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have started to get shortness of breath, a suffocation I cannot explain. It feels like someone is

physically choking me” (qtd. in Schultz). All of the illnesses these residents have experienced

could have been prevented if the government had taken action to help their city and had been

more responsible. It is obvious that the health of New Delhi’s citizens have been negatively

impacted from the city’s environmental conditions.

Almost everyone living in New Delhi has developed an illness, whether it be long term or

short-term sickness. Reports have found that the city’s children may be facing permanent brain

damage from the toxic air (Schultz). Sanya Mansoor, a writer for ​Time,​ stated that short term

exposure to the air is enough to cause serious long-term health problems such as heart attacks,

heart disease, and lung cancer. Nihal Masih also reported that hospitals are filled with countless

people who are dying every day because of respiratory problems. Doctors are calling this

epidemic a “sniper.” The harmful polluted air individuals are experiencing has caused a large

range of illnesses which are slowly killing them.

The polluted air in New Delhi has caused a major shift in the lives of its residents. Their

lives have been turned upside down because they are not able to go outside and go on with their

daily tasks. Septuagenarian couple, Krishen and Rekha Kak, told​ NPR​ that they limit their time

outside. They only use their cars when they have to, and stay inside with the doors and windows

closed at all times (Thiagarajan). The World Health Organization officials plan to limit the

number of vehicles on the roads, urge people to stay inside, and shut down primary schools and

flights due to high levels of “dark yellow haze” in the area (Shultz). Residents in New Delhi are

encouraged to wear face masks to prevent inhaling the heavy air and to avoid respiratory

irritation (Pokharel). Sonam Arora, who works as a banker, said she is looking for opportunities
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in cities with cleaner air to bring up her child. “As a new mother of a 3-month-old-baby, I have

not stepped out of the house for over 10 days,” she said (qtd. in Masih). Due to the toxic air,

residents such as Arora are forced to stay inside at all times instead of going to work or school.

Who knows how long they will have to live like this? It could be weeks, months, or longer.

During this horrible time for Delhiites, they would do anything to prevent themselves and their

loved ones from being affected by this polluted air, even if that means staying indoors.

However, some people have argued that polluted air is not a big deal and it does not need

to be taken seriously. Gobind Kapur, a fellow Delhite, told ​CNN​ reporter Shivam Vik that his

own family does not think they need to wear a mask. They are not taking this issue seriously.

Additionally, even as air pollution reached dangerous levels the first week of November,

businesses and advocates at expensive restaurants chose to open their doors and sit outside

(Shultz). Those citizens who don’t listen to the warnings of government organizations risk severe

illnesses and respiratory problems.

On the other hand, there are some residents in the area that do not have the type of money

to help them survive this lethal smog. Jyoti Kumar, the owner of a supermarket in New Delhi,

says that more people would buy air purifiers if they could afford them.”I wish I could shut down

my business and leave this city for good,” she says (qtd. in Schultz). Residents like Jyoti Kumar

don’t have the type of money to help them leave New Delhi. They are stuck in this destructive

environment.

Despite the claims made by those who believe that air pollution is not a problem, it is a

life-threatening issue. Every time a citizen in New Delhi steps outside with no protection, they

are exposed to hundreds of deadly toxins in the air, weakening their immune systems. Experts
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claim that breathing Delhi’s air for one day has the same impact as smoking at least 25 cigarettes

(Mansoor). Another estimate predicted immediate exposure to pollution could shave 3.2 years

from the life expectancy of millions of people (Ifran). Exposure to this fatal pollution could ruin

the lives of New Delhi resident’s lives indefinitely. India's population is constantly growing,

which means there are more and more people at risk. Something has to change in order for

Delhiites to live a healthy, normal life.

To fight this problem there have been projects developed to help save lives. Back in

2009, the Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act was enacted. This act changed how farmers

planted crops, which has encouraged sustainable farming techniques across the country (Irfan).

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, India’s Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology,

and Earth Sciences said that consuming carrots helps the body obtain potassium and antioxidants

which can protect pollution-related harm to health (Thiagarajan). Kurinij Selvaraj, a researcher at

the Delhi-based Council on Energy, Environment, and Water, stated that due to the wind

direction going from north-west to south-east, Delhi’s air quality has slightly improved (Ifran).

These band-aid solutions are tolerable but they are not permanent solutions.

The contaminated air in India is a severe issue. It is one that everyone needs to be taking

more seriously and that includes political leaders, residents, and the government. If other

organizations are helping save lives in New Delhi, why can’t the government? Gaurav Gogoi, a

lawmaker from the opposition Indian National Congress Party intends to make a new Air Act to

replace the old one from 1981. He says, “Political leaders need to stop treating air pollution as

merely an environmental issue and understand it’s a public health emergency” (qtd. In Vij). The

government needs to put themselves in the shoes of their residents for once and consider
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showing deference for their living conditions. Dr. Vikram Jaggi, director of the Asthma Chest &

Allergy Center in New Delhi states that most conversations he observes between his patients and

others are on air pollution. It is the only thing to talk about. He tells ​NPR​, “But when people say

they just want to be able to see the stars again it makes me really sad” (qtd. in Thiagarajan).

Ultimately, the environmental issues in India are severely handicapping their citizens’ ability to

live their lives, particularly in New Delhi and other over-populated regions.

New Delhi as we know it is a toxic, throat-blazing environment leaving residents

hopeless and finding means to survive. The New Delhi Government needs to put their foot down

and come up with a permanent solution to help with environmental contamination. They can

encourage lifestyle changes such as increased use of public transportation. The government can

also provide tax incentives for more fuel efficient automobiles (Brara). Instead of burning crops

before every harvest, which is a large contributor to the poor air quality, the government can

enforce more efficient and modern methods in agriculture. These are just some of the steps that

can be taken to help solve this problem. If not residents will suffer. Assem Prakash,

founder-director of the Center for Environmental Politics at the University of Washington, states

that what Delhiites need is political will, and “a bit of imagination” (qtd. in Irfan).
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Works Cited

Brara, Arvinder S. “14 Ways Citizens and Govt Can Help Reduce Air Pollution in Delhi.” ​Down

To Earth,​ Web. 11 Dec. 2019.

Irfan, Umair. “The Law That's Helping Fuel Delhi's Deadly Air Pollution.” Vox, 13 Nov. 2019.

Web. 2 Dec. 2019.

Mansoor, Sanya. “Air Pollution Levels Were 'Off The Charts' In New Delhi.” ​Time,​ 6 Nov.

2019. Web. 3 Dec. 2019.

Masih, Nihal. “New Delhi Is Losing the Battle Against Air Pollution.” ​Washington Post,​ 5 Nov.

2019.​ ProQuest.com.​ Web. 25 Nov. 2019.

Pokharel, Sugam. “New Delhi Is Choking on Smog and There's No End in Sight.” ​CNN​, Cable

News Network, 4 Nov. 2019. Web. 25 Nov. 2019.

Schultz, Kai. “New Delhi, Choking on Toxic Air, Declares Health Emergency.” ​The New York

Times,​ 1 Nov. 2019. Web. 2 Dec. 2019.

Thiagarajan, Kamala. “As Delhi Chokes On Smog, India's Health Minister Advises: Eat More

Carrots.” ​NPR,​ 8 Nov. 2019. Web. 3 Dec. 2019.

Vij, Shivam. “Schools Were Shut and Flights Diverted. But Air Pollution Still Isn't a Political

Issue in India.” ​CNN​, Cable News Network, 6 Nov. 2019. Web. 3 Dec. 2019.
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