Gurugram regularly ranks among the most polluted cities in India and, by some measures, the world. Every winter, AQI readings regularly cross 300–400 in the ‘Very Unhealthy’ and ‘Hazardous’ ranges. Children’s schools shut. Outdoor sports are cancelled. People with respiratory conditions are hospitalised.
Yet air quality rarely features in local electoral politics. This piece explains why Gurugram’s air is so polluted, who is responsible, and what citizens can realistically do.
The Four Main Sources
Stubble burning in neighbouring agricultural states, vehicular emissions from Gurugram’s car-dependent transport system, construction dust from the city’s perpetual building boom, and industrial emissions from nearby factories all contribute significantly to the pollution burden.