🔥 Delhi NCR Is Choking — And So Are We: Why Silence Is No Longer an Option

By Amarjeet Singh, Advocate- PRAN- Published on 02 Dec. 2025

The Hon’ble Supreme Court has once again stepped in to address Delhi–NCR’s pollution crisis, demanding a complete review of the capital’s air quality action plan. That should bring reassurance, but after travelling today from Rohtak Road (This is same road from which hon'ble Chief Justice might have travelled many time from his hometown Hisar) into Delhi and returning via Najafgarh Road, any sense of comfort vanished. The reality on the ground is far scarier than what the AQI numbers alone reveal. Delhi is not merely polluted — it is collapsing, physically and morally, under the weight of administrative apathy.

See detailed youtube video for condition of Rohtak Raos--https://youtu.be/-0dh1mFTWHE?si=vOEO2v_ldGP_WD_5, though there are some repaire done afterwords.

As I moved through these arterial stretches, the city resembled a neglected battlefield. Roads were broken beyond imagination, with potholes so large they could swallow a scooter. Dust, silt, and construction debris formed continuous layers along both sides of the roads. Garbage lay openly dumped on pavements. Not a single sign of road sweeping or routine maintenance was visible. Every vehicle, with every turn of its wheels, sent clouds of toxic dust into the air. This road dust — often ignored by policymakers — is one of the biggest contributors to PM10 and PM2.5 pollution in Delhi. It is killing us silently, consistently, and predictably.

Yet, those responsible act as if GRAP is a substitute for governance. One advisory here, one warning there — and everyone pretends the job is done. It feels as though the MCD is “enjoying” GRAP, doing everything except the most fundamental task required during a pollution emergency: repairing the roads and cleaning the city. When a government cannot even maintain roads, how can we trust it to handle advanced pollution-control measures or complex environmental plans?

What worries me deeply is that most people — including much of the media — avoid asking these hard questions. Why? What are we afraid of? What will you do when you are lying in a hospital bed, gasping for breath? Will your silence protect you? Will your hesitation save your children from asthma? Will your caution stop your parents from respiratory failure?

The brutal reality is simple: we are already dying, breath by breath, in Delhi’s toxic air.

And here lies a cruel inequality. The wealthy can escape — to the hills, foreign countries, or work-from-home havens. They have air purifiers in their homes, offices, and cars. But what about the actual backbone of Delhi’s economy? What about the autowallah, the delivery boy, the street vendor, the construction labourer, the schoolchild, the elderly resident in a tiny apartment? They cannot escape. They inhale poison daily because they have no choice. Pollution is not an inconvenience for them — it is slow violence.

Right to Life = Right to Clean Air

The Constitution of India guarantees every person the Right to Life under Article 21 — but what meaning does life hold when the very air we breathe has turned toxic? The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that the Right to Life is not merely the right to exist, but the right to live with dignity, health, and well-being. Clean air is not a privilege for a few; it is a fundamental right owed to every citizen, rich or poor, young or old. When pollution levels reach the point where children cough through the night, elders struggle for breath, and millions inhale poison with every gasp, the State is not merely failing in governance — it is violating the most sacred constitutional promise. No society can call itself humane, just, or democratic if its people are deprived of breathable air. The Right to Life cannot be upheld unless the Right to Clean Air is protected as an urgent, non-negotiable, and enforceable priority.

During my journey today, Delhi felt slightly emptier. A chilling thought struck me — people who can escape have already begun escaping. This is a quiet evacuation, not out of luxury but out of necessity. Yet millions remain behind, breathing poisonous air. And make no mistake — this is no longer a Delhi-only crisis. Rohtak’s AQI today was as bad as Delhi’s. Bahadurgarh, Jhajjar, Sonipat, Panipat, Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida — the entire 100 km region is suffocating. This is now a regional humanitarian emergency, not a seasonal inconvenience.

Against this backdrop, the Supreme Court’s intervention is welcome. But judicial words cannot clean the air — execution can. Delhi does not need newer committees or more paperwork; it needs basic governance. Before any sophisticated pollution strategy, authorities must first show they can perform the simplest tasks: fix broken roads, remove dust, clean drains, maintain pavements, prevent illegal dumping. A city that cannot keep its roads clean has no credibility to speak of clean air.

This is why Digital India, the visionary initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, must be seen not just as a governance reform but as a powerful weapon in the fight for clean air. Delhi’s pollution crisis is fueled by unnecessary travel into and across the city. Digital India can eliminate millions of trips entirely. Virtual court hearings can drastically reduce daily movement by litigants, lawyers, police personnel, and court staff. Many hearings do not require physical presence and should default to digital mode.

Likewise, most government services — certificates, permits, licenses, tax payments, utilities, grievances, pensions — can be fully delivered online. Every service delivered digitally means one less commute, one less vehicle on the road, one less plume of dust. Work-from-home models, proven effective during COVID-19, should be formally encouraged during winter pollution months, especially for the 40% of Delhi’s workforce that can work remotely.

Digital commerce further reduces congestion in markets. NCR satellite centres connected digitally can reduce Delhi’s unbearable daily inflow. Used wisely, Digital India becomes Clean India.

But digital tools will mean nothing without accountability. Agencies must be held responsible through monthly KPIs, financial penalties for non-performance, independent annual audits, sworn affidavits by top officials, and real-time public dashboards tracking every intervention. Delhi needs transparency, not tokenism; courage, not cosmetic action.

Delhi does not need pity. Delhi needs a revolution of voice and responsibility.
If we stay silent now, we surrender our future.
If we speak up collectively, courageously, relentlessly — we can force the system to act.

At PRAN, we raise these hard truths not for popularity, not for politics, but because millions of lives depend on it. If we cannot speak even when our lungs are failing, then what are we waiting for?

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👤 Author & Founder

Adv. Amarjeet Singh Panghal (MA LLB, LLM)
Founder – Public Rights Action Network (PRAN)
Public-interest advocate, legal researcher, and civic-awareness facilitator.

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