India’s climate movements are growing, but a unique political deadlock in the capital is creating a destructive inertia
Fly out of Delhi and you can see it: a band of grey smog, so thick it blots out the sun. Tune in carefully and you’ll hear it, too: a subtle symphony of snorts, coughs and wheezing.
To the untrained nose, Delhi’s air is a potent bouquet. High notes of charred biomass mingle with sulphurous remnants of Diwali bonfires, with base notes of subsidised diesel, burned plastic and coal.