It’s In The Air
Why is Delhi losing the battle against pollution?
- Delhi adds an average 1,500 cars daily. Delhi had 7.7 million vehicles until 2012-13, according to government figures, while Beijing has just over 5 million.
- What makes this worse is the high percentage of diesel consumption in this segment,
almost 40 per cent. - Inadequate and irregular public transport network, made worse by absence of last-mile
connectivity in most areas. - Frenetic construction that raises dust and the brick kilns feeding the building boom
add to the particulate matter in the air.
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Delhi’s worsening levels of pollution couldn’t possibly have a more high-profile mascot than its chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. Often seen with a muffler wrapped around his head and heard tied up in coughing fits, the chief minister suffers from acute bronchitis, a condition that for most sufferers always worsens in...