I think the varied pollutants is the biggest culprit — as you rightly pointed out. It is so easy to pass the buck that almost everyone is happy to do nothing. The fact that the Supreme Court has to constantly intervene to ensure clean air is a sign of citizen’s repudiating their responsibilities. The government is our reflection.

What is most painful is the educated class lagging behind in adopting and leading the charge towards cleaner solutions. This problem is way more pronounced in Delhi, that any other Indian city. Expats living in New York and London pass judgement on fire cracker bans — highlighting instances where parents of children are arrested; and yet marvel at China’s strong-armed tactics in curbing pollution (and any form of disstent). This behaviour manifests itself in circumventing the odd-even rule rather than adhering to it.

The whole problem with climate change is one of measurement — how does one measure the impact of any one policy, especially when you project it outwards on a timescale. Rightly, it is not possible for one to measure the efficacy of the odd-even scheme — but that isn’t reason enough to stop it.

Incentives for farmers, urban labourers and construction work are topics which require treatises by themselves — but I think one needs to highlight the apathy of so called ‘educated’ Indians. That is the most depressing aspect of this yearly phenomenon for me.