Choking the Capital: Plastic waste a bigger enemy to Delhi’s air quality than seasonal stubble burning

Between 2017-18 and 2019-20, the per capita plastic waste generated in India skyrocketed by five times from 500 gm/year to over 2,500 gm/year.

The pollution in Delhi-NCR, which has become severe enough to compel policymakers to consider a lockdown, is not only from stubble burning and vehicular smoke, but the old problem of plastic waste has also played a significant role in it.

“Burning of waste in open fires leads to production of a serious air pollutant called black carbon, and is responsible for half the visible smog in cities such as New Delhi,” according to the latest research by World Bank.