In almost any other city in the world, Delhi’s apocalyptic pollution levels would have sparked alarm. In India, however, it is business as usual. Governments are wary of taking action and even the once-activist judiciary is now lying low.

This state of affairs is untenable, Sunita Narain, director Centre for Science and Environments says in this episode of Scroll Adda.

The situation is severe and massive policy changes will have to be taken. Industries must be shifted to clean fuel, car and motorcycle users must be shifted to buses as well as trains and old, polluting vehicles must be barred from the streets of Delhi.

Narain notes the progress that has been made. Fuel today is much cleaner than it was a few years back. But also notes that any such steps forward are rolled back given the sheer increase in the number of private vehicles in Delhi. She is despondent about the Indian state’s response to pollution, arguing that earlier in her career as an environmental activist, institutions were far more responsive to people’s needs.

Producer: Raghav Kakkar

Editor: Hyder Habib

Research: Vaishnavi Rathod

Host: Shoaib Daniyal

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