Coastal cities like Mumbai, historically protected by strong sea breezes, are now facing severe winter smog crises due to rapid, unregulated construction and particulate accumulation. In contrast, the nearby industrial hub of Surat has achieved remarkable improvements in air quality through targeted industrial fuel transitions and strict emissions monitoring.
The Policy Pivot: Moving to Airshed Management
Air pollution is highly transboundary; particulate matter drifts across states and municipalities depending on wind patterns. Therefore, treating air quality as a municipal sanitization task is fundamentally flawed. We must establish regional Airshed Management Boards that coordinate emissions standards across agricultural zones, industrial corridors, and transport networks.
Surat's success with particulate emissions trading systems (ETS) shows that market-compliant regulatory incentives can work. Scaling this airshed model nationally represents the only viable path to clearing the skies of urban India.