Individuals grow. One does not judge a toddler, a teenager, a man in his prime or a wise old woman by the same yardstick. Countries and societies grow too. But experience and the years do not always make us wiser. Our battle against air pollution (as indeed, our war against climate change) tells us a lot about ourselves as a society.

Sharing my piece from the Sunday edition of the Times of India:

‘Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic’ is a phrase that seems to best describe some of Delhi’s actions these days. Let’s look at some of the items on the 15-point action plan that was announced by the government recently to fight pollution. For instance, a special park to process electronic waste. While e-waste is a huge environmental problem, its exact contribution in fouling Delhi’s winter air is hazy. Indeed, not knowing precisely how much pollution comes from each source makes it hard to take strong action because polluters can point fingers at each other.’

Available online here: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/delhi-needs-brave-political-action-but-dont-hold-your-breath/