Delhi and many parts of north India are once again struggling with dangerous air pollution. On Tuesday evening, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) touched a worrying 437. By Wednesday morning, it improved slightly to 370, but the air still remained in the 'very poor' category. Thick smog reduced visibility and made breathing difficult for residents.
Amid this crisis, the Chinese embassy in India shared a post on X that caught widespread attention. Embassy spokesperson Yu Jing compared air quality levels in Delhi and Beijing, pointing out how different the situation is in the two capitals. While Delhi and the NCR recorded a hazardous AQI of 447, Beijing showed a much safer AQI of 68, which falls in the moderate category.
---Advertisement---
Yu Jing said both India and China have faced air pollution challenges due to rapid urban growth. However, she credited China’s improvement to 'sustained efforts over the past decade' and said the embassy would share a short series explaining how China managed to clean its air.
---Advertisement---
Social media reacts to the comparison
The post triggered strong reactions online. Many users welcomed China’s offer to share its experience and openly expressed frustration over Delhi’s worsening air quality, especially during winter. Some even suggested that China gift smog towers to Delhi to help tackle pollution.
Others took the opportunity to criticise India’s pollution control efforts, saying weak enforcement has made policies ineffective. One user joked about China taking over pollution control in the NCR, while another said stricter punishment for rule-breaking officials makes all the difference.
A few users pushed back, sharing screenshots showing Beijing’s AQI touching 146 at one point. However, even those figures were far lower than Delhi’s readings, which crossed 400.
How China cleaned up its air
China began its fight against pollution in 2013 by declaring a national 'war on pollution.' A clean air action plan was launched with strict targets to reduce PM2.5 levels. Local governments were held responsible for meeting these goals and air quality monitoring was expanded to prevent data manipulation.
Coal use, especially for home heating, was reduced by shifting to gas-based energy. Vehicle pollution was tackled by tightening emission norms, improving public transport, and limiting the number of private cars through licence plate controls.
These steps were strictly enforced between 2013 and 2018. Later, China focused on long-term solutions like industrial restructuring and regional coordination. As a result, PM2.5 levels dropped by 64 per cent between 2013 and 2023.
Why Delhi is still struggling
Delhi faces many of the same pollution sources: construction dust, vehicle emissions, industrial smoke, coal burning and seasonal factors. India has introduced measures such as phasing out old vehicles, promoting cleaner fuels and running electric buses.
However, poor enforcement remains the biggest challenge. Before Diwali this year, the full ban on firecrackers was relaxed. Despite a 77.5 per cent fall in farm fires, Delhi recorded its worst post-Diwali air quality in five years.
Average PM2.5 levels shot up to 488 micrograms per cubic metre, nearly 100 times higher than World Health Organization limits. Experts say Delhi’s crisis shows that strong laws alone are not enough, consistent and strict implementation is the real need.