New York Times: Choking in New Delhi
Editorial Board

“It is no longer safe to breathe in New Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in the world. The problem has grown steadily worse, but little has been done beyond stopgap measures … Levels of the smallest particles, called PM 2.5, recently hit an astounding 688 micrograms per cubic meter of air in one New Delhi neighborhood, far surpassing the city’s average annual concentration of 153. … The solutions for seasonal smoke are obvious: Firecrackers should be banned — and those bans enforced. … India also needs to tackle the year-round pollution that stems from construction and road dust, from millions of vehicles and from factories and power plants. … India’s 1981 Air Act is far too lax and out of date to control the current crisis. Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to propose new legislation that sets stronger standards, with stiff penalties for polluters. He will also need to allocate funds for cleaning up the sources of pollution in cities where millions of people are breathing dirty air” (11/8).