One of CSE’s most successful campaigns has been to improve the air quality of Delhi, one of the most polluted cities in the world. In November 1996, CSE, recognising the growing problem of urban air pollution, published Slow Murder: The Deadly Story of Vehicular Pollution in India. It was the first study in India to present a comprehensive picture of the causes of vehicular air pollution – ranging from poor engine technology and fuel quality to traffic planning and maintenance of vehicles. Not just India’s metros but also its small towns today face severe air pollution problems. The book, released by Shri K R Narayanan, then vice-president of India, immediately attracted the attention of the media, pollution control officials and, most important of all, the Supreme Court. Justice Kuldip Singh took suo moto notice of the press coverage of the book and asked the Delhi government for an affidavit spelling out its action plan for controlling air pollution in the city.

Since then CSE’s campaign has been on a rollercoaster ride. In order to build up public pressure, CSE released another study in 1997 which showed that nearly 10,000 people die every year in Delhi, and about 52,000 in 36 cities of India, because of pollution caused by small particles released from the burning of diesel and petrol. In 1998, another study showed the disproportionate speed with which vehicular pollution has been growing in comparison with the growth of the economy. Between 1975 and 1995, the Indian economy grew only 2.5 times but vehicular pollution grew by almost eight times – not surprisingly, urban air is becoming fouler by the day.

In 1999, CSE published a study on the health effects of the use of diesel, which has been growing by leaps and bounds because of the distorted pricing policies of the government. Not only trucks and buses run on diesel in India, the automobile industry is also introducing passenger cars running on diesel despite their severe health effects. Simultaneously, CSE kept a close watch on the changing moods of the Delhi government to observe the Supreme Court order to convert all its buses to CNG – a major step towards reducing particulate pollution in Delhi. Even before this order has been implemented, particulate levels in Delhi’s air have shown a drop over the last two years. The struggle launched in 1996 will go on till hopefully Delhi begins to breathe clean air. Today, CSE is developing a computer model to asses the impact of different interventions in cleaning up Delhi’s air, a tool which can be used both by policymakers and environmental activists to fight against air pollution.