40 by 2040: Cost of Inaction and Delays in Reaching Delhi’s Air Quality Target

Delhi can improve its PM2.5 concentrations, but it will take at least 10 to 15 years of systematic implementation of a series of interventions, spanning all the sectors, at regional scale. The necessary effort to reach 40 ug/m3 in 2040 is substantial, requiring changes like those seen during the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, in all the anthropogenic sectors. In addition to the year-round sources, a pathway is required to manage the winter heating emissions and stubble burning emissions, which are the seasonal peaks that contribute significantly to the annual average.