With Delhi continuing to battle hazardous winter smog,China on Wednesday extended an offer to assist India in combating its persistent air pollution crisis.
The Chinese Embassy in New Delhi said Beijing was willing to share lessons from its decade-long clean-air drive, which drastically reduced smog levels in cities once infamous for toxic haze.
“China once struggled with severe smog, too. We stand ready to share our journey toward blue ones – and believe India will get there soon,” Embassy spokesperson Yu Jing posted on X.
Beijing launched a sweeping anti-pollution campaign in 2013, investing over USD 100 billion, relocating polluting industries, restricting older vehicles, phasing out coal in urban centres, and rapidly scaling up renewable energy.
It also planted an estimated 35 billion trees under large-scale reforestation programmes like the Great Green Wall.
These measures, government data suggests, have given Beijing over 100 more clear-sky days each year since the crackdown began.
Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality showed slight improvement after last week’s cloud-seeding trials but remained firmly in the ‘poor’ category on Wednesday, with an AQI of 228 at 9 am and 202 by 4 pm, according to the Central Pollution Control Board. On Tuesday, the city recorded an AQI of 291, underscoring the capital’s ongoing struggle against winter pollution.
