Poisoned skies: How China tackled pollution — if Beijing can, why can’t Delhi?

NEW DELHI: Delhi is engulfed in a thick, choking smog fuelled by crop-residue burning in neighbouring states, vehicle emissions, industrial pollution, and road dust.

For years, hazardous air quality has become almost routine, putting residents’ health at risk.




Meanwhile, Beijing — once notorious as the “smog capital of the world” — has transformed its air in just over a decade. Coordinated policies, strict enforcement, and bold reforms have turned the grey city skies blue, offering a stark contrast to Delhi’s perennial haze.

Beijing’s Decade-Long War On Air Pollution

Back in 2005, when Beijing was preparing to host the 2008 Olympics, satellite data and reports highlighted it as one of the most polluted cities globally.

Pollution levels were blamed for hundreds of thousands of premature deaths annually, and nitrogen dioxide concentrations were among the world’s highest, according to the European Space Agency.

Even athletes threatened to pull out of the Games due to health concerns.

The turning point came in 2013, when the Chinese government announced a five-year action plan targeting severe air pollution in Beijing and surrounding regions.

The plan included:

• Strict emissions standards: Factories were forced to upgrade or close, while loopholes in enforcement were removed.
• Transport reforms: A city-wide lottery limited fossil-fuel vehicle registrations, while electric cars and public transport were promoted. Truck traffic was rerouted to beltways, and bike-sharing schemes were reintroduced.
• Regional coordination: Authorities recognised that smog originated beyond city limits, implementing pollution controls across the greater Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region.
• Clean energy push: Coal use was restricted, and renewables were prioritised in power generation and heating systems.

The results were dramatic. Between 2013 and 2021, air pollution in Beijing fell by over 42%, according to the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC).

Satellite and ground-level monitoring showed that coordinated regional measures were key to the city’s cleaner air.

'Journey toward blue ones'

China’s spokesperson to India, Yu Jing, posted on X highlighting similarities between the air pollution challenges faced by both countries and stated that Beijing is willing to share our path toward clearer skies.

In a post on X, Jing said, "China once struggled with severe smog, too. We stand ready to share our journey toward blue ones—and believe India will get there soon."



Lessons from Experts


Zongbo Shi, an atmospheric science professor at the University of Birmingham, told The New York Times in 2022 that Beijing’s success depended on unified action: “When the central government prioritizes an initiative, local authorities fall in line. That happened in the case of Beijing’s pollution, as the capital worked in tandem with regional officials and neighboring cities.”

Similarly, Dr. Kaspar Rudolf Dällenbach of Switzerland’s Paul Scherrer Institute noted in The Guardian that Beijing’s air pollution often begins outside the city: “Before smog in Beijing forms, pollutants are transported over hundreds of kilometres, making this a regional issue. Coordinated and stringent large-scale measures are needed across one of the most populated regions on the planet.”

Delhi’s Ongoing Struggle

In Delhi, the situation remains dire. Winter pollution spikes are largely due to crop-stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, combined with urban and industrial emissions and road dust. Unlike Beijing, Delhi lacks a unified regional mechanism to manage these sources effectively.

India’s National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched in 2019, aims for a 20–30% reduction in particulate pollution by 2024 (revised to 40% by 2026). While there has been some progress — a 19.3% drop in particulate pollution in 2022 compared with 2021, according to EPIC — Delhi continues to struggle with enforcement, coordination, and fund utilisation. Between 2019–20 and 2023–24, only 29.5% of NCAP funds were effectively used, according to the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

Experts note that Delhi faces unique challenges: fragmented governance across multiple states, complex sources of pollution, reliance on coal and fossil fuels, and economic pressures that make bold interventions politically sensitive.

The Strategy

China’s clean-air strategy focused on reducing emissions from multiple pollutants while strengthening environmental economic policies. It aimed to optimise industrial infrastructure and drive major industrial restructuring, alongside accelerating technological transformation and innovation.

The plan also involved adjusting the country’s energy infrastructure to expand clean energy supply, reinforcing environmental thresholds, and optimising industrial layouts. China promoted the use of market mechanisms, improved legal and regulatory systems, and established strong regional coordination frameworks with integrated environmental management.

To better cope with pollution episodes, the government set up enhanced monitoring and early-warning systems. Finally, the strategy clarified the responsibilities of government, enterprises, and the public, ensuring wider participation in achieving cleaner air.

What Delhi Could Learn from Beijing

Despite these challenges, Beijing’s experience offers valuable lessons:

• Regional coordination is critical: Pollution control cannot be limited to city boundaries; neighbouring states and agricultural belts must be engaged.
• Binding targets and enforcement: Clear, time-bound objectives with penalties and proper funding drive real change.

“I think the message is clear. We need clear air pollution control targets and a plan to meet them. The process has to be verifiable similar to how China has done it. The level of stringency needs to be very high, and it should be monitored at every milestone and verify whether it’s on track. The notified version of CAP doesn’t have targets. How do you calibrate the plan if there are no verifiable targets?” asked Anumita Roy Chowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment, in 2018.

• Structural reforms: Energy, transport, and industry need systemic shifts, not just temporary measures.
• Transparency and public awareness: Accessible air-quality data increases accountability and civic participation.
• Long-term environmental planning: Urban greening, green belts, and sustainable city planning can help absorb pollutants and improve liveability.

A Path Forward

The divergence between Beijing and Delhi underscores a fundamental truth: tackling air pollution requires more than plans on paper. It demands political will, regional coordination, investment, and long-term commitment. While Delhi’s journey may be more complex than Beijing’s due to political and social realities, the blueprint for action is clear.

If Delhi is to breathe freely again, it must move from debate to decisive action, transforming policy into practice — and in doing so, chart its own path to cleaner skies.

Air Quality Across India

No major Indian city has “good” air quality. A 10-year assessment of air pollution across major urban centres found that none of the country’s top cities met safe Air Quality Index (AQI) levels at any point between 2015 and November 2025.

The report, by environmental research firm Climate Trends, analysed long-term pollution patterns across 11 major cities.

Delhi remained India’s most polluted city throughout, with average AQI levels peaking above 250 in 2016 and hovering around 180 this year.

Despite marginal dips after 2019, the capital never approached healthy air-quality thresholds. Vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, and crop burning are major contributors, compounded by the region’s geographical constraints.

Cities such as Lucknow, Varanasi, and Ahmedabad — which recorded persistently high AQI values, often above 200 — showed some improvement in the second half of the decade.

Southern and western cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, and Bengaluru recorded relatively moderate AQI levels but none met safe thresholds.

Bengaluru posted the lowest AQI readings in the country — between 65 and 90 — still too high for the “good” category.

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