Pollution

Breathing in the air of Delhi for one day in the winter is equivalent to smoking 50 cigarettes a day.

Many of us are from or have visited India. Although pollution varies throughout the nation, the air quality in Indian cities is consistently poorer than the majority of cities globally. These all just seem like facts and numbers on a page, but nearly a billion people live in these overpopulated and polluted cities, and have to deal with the consequences everyday.

Sicknesses in India are frequently the result of air pollution, with 20% of respiratory infections being traced back to bad air quality. When I visited India last, I was put on a nebuliser. Personally, this was an eye-opening experience as I experienced first-hand the consequences of the damage being done to my country. However, unfortunately, this is not a rare occurrence. In fact, every 2 minutes, one person dies in Delhi due to this issue.

So, why is this happening?

India’s population increases at a rapid rate, which puts more cars on the road, more construction projects into effect, and forces the growth of industries.

However, the worst pollution occurs in October and November, especially in the North, and this can be traced back to the agricultural industry. Due to water shortages in Haryana and Punjab, farmers are forced to clear their crops quickly by burning, in order to plant new crops earlier. These stubble fires cause massive clouds of smoke, being barricaded by the Himalayan mountains and directed by cold air flow, sending the smoke directly to Delhi and neighbouring cities. This smoke is trapped under warm air, and mixes with urban pollution to create a toxic combination.

While the pollution in Delhi seems distant to us in Singapore, we too are affected. Although this problem seems too wide-reaching for us to be able to address, individual actions will both help our city, and every other one. A simple decision like choosing to take public transport will help reduce death rates in Delhi. It is vital for us to also speak up, so international climate conferences can halt this damage through legislation. After all, this is a global issue, so the borders between countries are not relevant to our efforts to tackle it.