Water jets, odd-even just desperation: Delhi's air needs a radical response

Attention is only turned to the problem in winter, when the pollution peaks and the government and regulatory bodies come out of hibernation

Delhi is undergoing an unprecedented public health emergency due to sky-rocketing levels of tiny “particulate matter” pollution in the air. On December 5, pollution stopped play during a cricket Test match between India and Sri Lanka at the city’s Feroz Shah Kotla stadium after the players complained that the barely breathable air was causing them to vomit.

Actions undertaken by the government of the Indian capital, such as throwing water jets into the air or bringing in “odd-even” trials that limit car use on alternate days, smack of desperation.