It has learned how to house its growing population from Singapore’s public housing model, how to design efficient transit from Tokyo’s rail networks, and how to shape skylines inspired by New York’s urban density. Yet, one critical question lingers: What about the air we breathe?

Consider this: Tokyo, with its rigorous emission norms and green policies, setting a limit at 10 μg/m³, boasts an average PM2.5 level of under 15 μg/m³. Singapore, balancing urban density with greenery, averages around 12 μg/m³.

In stark contrast, Delhi’s annual average is a hazardous 90 μg/m³, with winter spikes often crossing 400 μg/m³. These numbers aren’t abstract — they signify health crises, reduced workforce productivity, and economic losses.

Air pollution alone costs India nearly 8.5 per cent of its GDP annually, according to the World Bank, a staggering drag on growth in a country poised for economic leadership.

While India has excelled at borrowing and localising global urban projects, air quality tells a different story. Reactive measures like the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) fail to address systemic issues, unlike Beijing’s decade-long "war on pollution", which cut particulate levels by 35 per cent.

London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) offers a template for integrating technology and policy to improve air quality. These cities are proof that addressing pollution isn’t a standalone effort — it’s woven into their broader urban strategies.

India has reimagined housing, transit and skylines with global benchmarks. Can we learn to manage our air with the same comprehensive, inclusive and multiscalar approach we’ve applied to these other aspects of urban planning?

India's Poor Urban AQI Problem

Across India, air quality has been on a steady decline. In 2023 alone, over 300 cities recorded "very poor" AQI days, with urban areas like Kanpur, Ghaziabad, and Dhanbad joining perennial offenders Delhi and Lucknow. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) indicates that nearly 80 per cent of Indian towns breached the permissible PM2.5 levels for most of the year. Alarmingly, AQI trends have set new negative records annually in the last decade.

This crisis stems from multiple factors: Unchecked industrial emissions, rampant vehicular pollution, crop residue burning and rapid urbanisation with inadequate environmental safeguards. The impacts are staggering. Air pollution is linked to over 1.6 million deaths annually in India, according to the Lancet Commission, and contributes to respiratory diseases, reduced workforce productivity, and an 8.5 per cent GDP loss annually.

How Global Cities Manage Air Quality

Global cities like London, Beijing and Los Angeles have advanced air quality management systems through integrated legal, judicial, and developmental frameworks.

Constitutional provisions drive action. Switzerland’s constitution guarantees the right to a healthy environment, leading to strict vehicle emissions and industrial pollution caps. Norway’s legal framework enforces green policies, including air quality monitoring and emission reduction targets.

Judicial interventions are critical for enforcing standards. The US Clean Air Act (1970) empowered courts to penalise polluters, reducing emissions in cities like Los Angeles. Similarly, China’s judiciary supported the 2013 National Action Plan, resulting in a 35 per cent reduction in Beijing’s PM2.5 levels by 2017.

Economic mechanisms also play a key role. London’s ULEZ charges high-emission vehicles, promoting cleaner transport. Singapore’s Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system controls congestion while boosting energy-efficient transport.

Developmental planning prioritises air quality. Singapore’s green belts reduce pollution, while its Building and Construction Authority mandates eco-friendly designs. Beijing’s "Blue Sky Action Plan" relocates heavy industries to less populated areas, preserving urban air quality.

Cities like Tokyo introduced cap-and-trade for industrial emissions (2010), which incentivised cleaner production. Mexico City’s ProAire programme, focused on cleaner fuels, transport and stricter vehicle norms, reduced air pollution by 70 per cent since 1990.

The temporal contrast is stark: Beijing’s 2013 pollution control plan achieved a 54 per cent reduction in PM2.5 by 2021. London’s Clean Air Act (1956) phased out coal, after the Great Smog of 1952. Meanwhile, India is only beginning its air quality management efforts.

Recent Efforts Almost A Decade Behind

The National Clean Air programme (NCAP), launched as recently as 2019, marks India’s first systematic effort to combat air pollution. While it signifies a significant step forward, the initiative struggles with fragmented governance, as the responsibilities are split across multiple ministries and departments, including the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), urban local bodies and state pollution control boards. This overlap often leads to coordination issues and delayed implementation of policies.

The programme aimed to reduce PM2.5 and PM10 levels by 20-30 per cent by 2024, compared to 2017, setting ambitious targets. However, as of recent evaluations, progress has been inconsistent. For instance, many cities have reported only marginal improvements, with air quality often reverting to critical levels during specific seasons.

A 2023 review indicated that only a fraction of the 131 non-attainment cities under the NCAP had successfully integrated their air quality improvement measures into broader development plans, limiting the programme's systemic impact.

Under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), measures like GRAP have been implemented in cities like Delhi. These include temporary actions like halting construction during high pollution episodes and implementing odd-even vehicular restrictions.

However, data reveals that few cities have met the target reductions in pollution levels, highlighting both the magnitude of the problem and the limitations of fragmented execution.

India’s delayed response compared to global leaders like Beijing, which introduced aggressive pollution control measures in 2013, has exacerbated the challenge. Beijing's centralised action plan, with clear accountability and substantial funding, led to a nearly 40 per cent reduction in PM2.5 levels by 2020.

In contrast, India’s NCAP has faced challenges due to limited funding and lack of central oversight, hindering cities from achieving similar results. To make significant progress, India must accelerate efforts, ensure better accountability and secure adequate funding for air quality management.

Finance, Accountability, Actionable Interventions

India’s air quality crisis requires an interdisciplinary approach, integrating governance, finance and policy design.

Governance needs reorganisation for cohesive action. Experts, including Vibhooti Tiwari, senior programme manager at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), advocate for an empowered Air Quality Commission to coordinate regional air pollution sources like crop burning and industrial emissions, across ministries like MoEF&CC, MoPNG and MoUD.

Financial innovation is essential. Ajay Mathur, director-general of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), points out that India’s environmental funding lags behind global standards. He suggests increased investment in cleaner technologies and renewable energy research, and advocates for mechanisms like “polluter pays” funds or green bonds, similar to South Korea’s successful models.

Experts emphasise time-bound interventions. Mukesh Khare, a professor at IIT-Delhi, stresses the importance of clear, phased targets, akin to China’s five-year plans. He suggests that introducing low-emission zones could complement ongoing transit and industrial reforms. Setting deadlines, supported by legal and financial accountability, is critical for consistent progress.

A scalable approach is crucial. Dr Arvind Kumar, a pulmonologist and air quality advocate, says India’s policies must address both local and regional pollution sources — like vehicular emissions in cities and industrial pollutants in smaller hubs. This strategy mirrors the EU’s Air Quality Framework Directive, which combines local solutions with broader oversight.

India has reimagined housing and transit by drawing inspiration from global cities. The same comprehensive approach to air quality management is now essential. By integrating constitutional, judicial and planning frameworks, India can tackle its air pollution crisis.

Acting decisively now, with its demographic and economic potential, is key to securing a future of clean air — critical for public health, equity and progress.