Delhi’s choking smog a reminder of South Asia’s battle with air pollution, climate inaction

Urgent call to end fossil fuel reliance at COP29.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Nov 19, 2024 10:24 AM IST

Aarti Khosla, director at Climate Trends, pointed out how Delhi's AQI on Monday is close to 450 and on an average, and touched 1000 ug/m3 in many parts of the city.(Photo: Reuters)

As the second week starts at COP29 with Health Day, experts from the global health community come together to talk about the emergency that fossil fuel pollution and climate change pose to human health and the urgency for countries to chart a future that is not dependent on fossil fuels.

When contacted, Bhavreen Kandhari, environmentalist and co-founder of Warrior Moms told The Indian Express, “As COP29 goes into the second week, it must prioritise a bold, inclusive climate action plan that addresses urban air quality, invests in renewable energy and supports vulnerable regions in mitigating the environmental aspects of pollution. We are in a public health emergency and Delhi’s choking smog is not just a local crisis but a stark reminder of South Asia’s escalating battle with air pollution and climate inaction,” she said.

Speakers, including physicians, medical students and public health experts issued a call from the global health community to immediately address the fossil fuel health crisis, finance and conflict of interest, stating that the cost of inaction is far more than action.

Aarti Khosla, director at Climate Trends, pointed out how Delhi’s AQI on Monday is close to 450 and on an average, and touched 1000 ug/m3 in many parts of the city. “The fact that no single source of pollution is going to be the worst, but there will be many, which will include black carbon, ozone, fumes from fossil burning, fumes from farm fires and so on, should make us look at solutions which are also multidisciplinary. As temperatures drop in a La Nina year, wind circulation has also been quite poor, leaving pollutants to hang in the air. We are all gathered here to talk about bigger issues that affect our climate and countries are dragging their feet when lives and health of millions are at risk. We need to urgently respond to the realities of climate change the world is facing today,” Khosla said.

Enkhun Byambadorj, co-founder at Breathe Mongolia, in a statement said, “We don’t have a winter season, but an air pollution season in Mongolia now. A child living in a city versus a rural area has 40 per cent lower lung function capacity due to air pollution. However, we need to address this problem holistically. The narrative in support of fossil fuels focusses on strong economic development and growth as the only parameter of success. We need to re-frame this narrative and discourse. The air we breathe is a choice we make as a society at the expense of our young children and the future of everyone.”

There is broad consensus from the health community on the need to phase out fossil fuels, redirect health-harming subsidies from the sector and apply some of the lessons learnt from tobacco control to apply also to fossil fuels.

An ambitious finance target is essential to support healthy and just transitions to renewable energy, as well as to enable adaptation across health and health-determining sectors and to respond to health losses and damages.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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