Pratap Bhanu Mehta writes: In Delhi and beyond, toxic air is sustained by toxic politics

Toxic air is a product of toxic politics. The toxicity comes in many forms. Denial, across the political spectrum, of how grave the problem is. Distraction, where the circus of politics keeps us from confronting serious issues. Division, where identity and vested interests block any coalition for change. And when all else fails, Destiny: Pollution becomes the inevitable price of modernisation, a sacrifice this generation must make for some future “powerhouse” glory.

Air pollution has never been a voting issue. Even those who care about it don’t cast their ballots on it. That is partly because there’s little to choose between political parties. The rewards of good policy lie well beyond the next election cycle. And the problem itself is tangled in institutional knots — fragmented powers, u