What Delhi Can Learn From China To Curb Air Pollution? Chinese Official Suggests
New Delhi has lessons to take from China to stop its rising level of air pollution, being the highest AQI capital of the world currently. Beijing took a constructive path to reduce its pollution, which had previously made it the most polluted capital in the world, a title now held by New Delhi.
Chinese spokesperson in India, Yu Jing, also laid out the path that Beijing followed to improve the air quality. Jing said China’s sustained efforts over the past decade have delivered noticeable improvements. He emphasised that both China and India have faced the struggle of air pollution amid rapid urbanization, while the challenge remains complex.
In 2013, Beijing’s annual PM 2.5 average was 101.7 ug/m3, which stands at 30.9 ug/m3 in 2024.
The Chinese spokesperson to India suggested the path that Beijing adopted to handle the air pollution issue. She said that cleaner air doesn’t happen overnight, which requires a coordinated program.
Step1: Vehicle emissions control. Adopt ultra-strict regulations like China 6NI (on par with Euro 6). Phase-out retired old, high-emission vehicles. Curb car growth via license-plate lotteries and odd-even/weekday driving rules. Build one of the world’s largest metro and bus networks. Accelerate the shift to electric mobility. Work with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region on coordinated emission curbs.
Step 2: Industrial Restructuring. Shut down or remove 3000+ heavy industries. Relocating Shougang, one of China’s largest steelmakers, alone cut inhalable particles by 20%. Transform vacated factories into parks, commercial zones, cultural and tech hubs. For example, the former Shougang site became the 2022 Winter Olympics venue. Relieve non-capital functions by relocating wholesale markets, logistics hubs, and some educational and medical institutions. Coordinate regional integration by shifting general manufacturing to Hebei, while retaining high-value R&D and services in Beijing.
However, such interventions are not unheard of in India, but the scale and seriousness of the action vary.
As per the experts of India, the coordinated efforts were taken in China to handle the air pollution issue. But in India, the scale of such measures is missing and also the actions are taken only during the air emergencies.
Also, the lack of political will is also considered a one of the major factors behind the non-implementation and non-compliance with the already adopted measures such as BS6.
