India’s New Delhi is one of the most polluted cities in the world. The countryIndia itself is home to 22 of the top 30 most polluted cities, according to a study by Greenpeace and AirVisual 2018 World Air Quality Report (Pokharel). Every winter New Delhi farmers burn their crops to make room for a new harvest, causing smoke to settle over India and putting many at risk forof exposure to air contamination. In addition, the annual Hindu Festival of Lights contaminates the air after setting off fireworks. The New Delhi government and political leaders have taken little action to prevent polluted air from affecting the Indian population. Because of this issue, the high levels of polluted air in New Delhi are becoming a major risk to the health and living conditions of its residents.
The deadly polluted air has caused many residents in New Delhi to develop illnesses. Siddharth Singh, a resident of a satellite city of Delhi, reports that many people have developed allergy-like symptoms. Singh describes the air as “smell[ing] like burning leaves.” He also says, “Many people have a persistent dry cough and itchy eyes. Everything is hazy, so the eyes don’t focus on objects in the distance” (qtd. Inin Pokharel). Another Delhi resident, Reem Idokhar, claims that the air smells awful and her sinuses are making her miserable. She says that pollution has grown much worse in recent years (Thiagarajan). Another resident, Mohammad Islam, is forced to miss several hours of work every day due to his chronic cough. Islam states, “I have started to get shortness of breath, suffocation. I cannot explain …Itit.”