My Least Favorite Thing About India

I’ve been pretty much in love with everything in India so far. Even things that I would never tolerate back in the states take on a certain exotic charm here in India. Pouring buckets of cold water over myself for a shower? How energizing. Sour lime juice as a drink? That’s a new one! Cyclones that hit when you’re miles from your hotel? What a great experience! A paucity of toilet paper? Ain’t life grand!

There is one thing about India that I feel I could never get used to, however. One thing that gives America a decided advantage in the ‘places to live’ contest. One thing that I strongly believe should be changed immediately, for the sake of the country’s future.

The smog.

The air quality here came as a bit of a shock; I’d had Indian friends warn me beforehand, but I still did not think it would be as bad as it is. In Delhi, the uniquely congested traffic made me fear to roll my windows down. On the sidewalk, piles of trash had been lit on fire, and the resulting smoke produced an unpleasant smell. After a few days in that city, I felt the full effects of the smog, coughing constantly and negotiating to minimize our time spent at the center of the city.

When our friend Danish offered to drive us up to the North Indian countryside, I jumped at the chance, assuming that once I got out of the city, my lungs would be in a happier state. As we drove north, however, the sky remained a dull grey. Danish explained that the Punjabi farmers cleared their fields by burning them after harvest, despite the illegal nature of such activities. We passed several burning fields on our way to Ludhiana. Uttar Pradesh, as well, had several large factories that would belch pillars of fire from its smokestacks; our friends explained that the UP had a lot of industrial plants.

Bombay has been better in terms of smog, but coming into the harbor by boat allows you to see the air quality more clearly: the entire city seems bathed in a grey mist that is reminiscent of a Northern European fog. Coming back from the island of Elefanta, Elliot and I were able to see the sun set behind the city. It was a beautiful sight, a huge red ball of flame peeking out from between the skyscrapers that stood proudly above the city. However, the fact that we were able to stare directly at the sun without blinking gives you some idea of how much the smog had colored the Bombay air.

Gandhi wrote that “If we cultivate the habit of keeping the air pure and of breathing only fresh air, we can save ourselves from many a terrible disease.” Of course, it’s easy to admonish India for its air quality, but economic development through industrial modernization cannot easily occur without its ill-starred offspring, industrial pollution. And in a country of 1 billion people, it’s hard to regulate individual habits that contribute to pollution. If I had any solutions, I’d happily offer them here. In the meantime, when I see small street children running between stopped traffic in central Delhi, or South Bombay, I simply wonder what the price of this air pollution may turn out to be.

-J.&E.