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Introduction

Despite a robust statutory framework comprising the Air Act (1981) and the Environment Protection Act (1986), Indian cities consistently dominate global pollution indices. In contrast, China, once the world’s most polluted nation, has achieved a rapid “war on pollution,” highlighting a widening gap in enforcement and policy efficacy.

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Structural Challenges Responsible for Divergence

• Fragmented Airshed Management: India regulates pollution by state boundaries rather than natural airsheds, allowing transboundary pollution to persist.
  Eg: Despite CAQM, stubble burning in neighbouring states continues to spike Delhi’s AQI.
• Infrastructure Investment Gap: India lags in mass public transport, EV networks, and clean heating compared to China’s rapid infrastructure expansion.
• Source Attribution Delays: Lack of real-time nationwide source-apportionment results in reactive policies instead of structural reforms.
  Eg: Continued reliance on short-term measures such as the Odd-Even scheme.
• Slower Economic Transition: Democratic and socio-economic constraints limit rapid relocation of polluting industries in India.
  Eg: China shut down thousands of small factories around Beijing ahead of major clean-air action plans.

Governance Challenges Responsible for Divergence

• Weak Enforcement Capacity: State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) suffer from massive vacancies and lack the legal teeth to impose “polluter pays” penalties effectively.
  Eg: Nearly 50% of technical positions in several SPCBs remain vacant, crippling monitoring efforts.
• Federal Friction Issues: Environment is a shared responsibility, and political friction between Central and State governments often leads to a blame-game rather than coordinated action.
  Eg: The annual debate between Delhi and neighboring states over stubble burning subsidies highlights a lack of federal synchronization.
• Compliance vs. Outcomes: Indian governance focuses on procedural compliance (filing reports) rather than measurable air quality outcomes or health-based targets.
  Eg: The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) targets are aspirational and non-binding, lacking the legal mandate of China’s Air Action Plan.
• Limited Judicial Enforcement: While the NGT is proactive, its directives are often stayed or ignored by state agencies due to a lack of an integrated executive oversight mechanism.
  Eg: Repeated NGT bans on waste burning are frequently bypassed due to the absence of grassroots municipal enforcement.

Principles from Beijing’s ‘Blue Sky’ Experience

• Time-Bound Accountability: China implemented the “Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan” with strict, legally binding 5-year reduction targets for provincial governors.
  Eg: Beijing reduced PM2.5 levels from the average 102 μg/m³ in 2013 to 31 μg/m³ in 2024. through mandatory performance evaluations of local officials.
• Regional Coordination Mechanism: Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH Model) region adopted a unified standard for emissions and emergency responses, treating the entire geographic area as one unit.
  Eg: China established a regional office (Regional Environmental Supervision (RES) centers) with the power to halt industrial activity across provincial lines during “Red Alerts”.
• Massive Fiscal Transfers: The “Blue Sky” project was backed by billions in central subsidies to help industries transition to cleaner technology and help citizens buy EVs.
• High-Tech Monitoring Grid: China deployed a dense grid of high-definition sensors and satellite monitoring to identify and penalize individual polluters in real-time.
  Eg: Beijing’s use of “Grid Management” allows authorities to pin-point pollution spikes to specific street blocks or factories .

Conclusion

India must evolve from “symbolic environmentalism” to “results-oriented governance.” By integrating airshed-based management with the NCAP and institutionalizing political accountability, India can replicate the Beijing model. Success lies in shifting the narrative from a purely regulatory burden to an opportunity for green innovation and public health resilience.

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