Is Delhi at the risk of losing its capital status? Exposing themselves to the toxic air that has now come to be recognized as an inseparable part of city's geographic features, the pollution emergency in Delhi may well compel voices in favour of such a move. Extreme weather events in India have not been rare but the intensity of the smog that has shrouded Delhi and adjoining NCR has turned the expanse into a ‘gas chamber'. The severe air pollution caused by stubble burning in India's bread basket, factory emissions and automobile exhaust has led health scares and travel delays. As a big tropical country, India is known for its diverse climatic features. With extreme summers, chilling winters and monsoons that seem to defy a seasonal pervasiveness, adapting to changing climates has been tough even for the countrymen. The severities of an exceptionally unbearable weather compelled the government of the British monarchy in India to shift capitals, establishing Shimla as its summer capital. However, more than the weather, it is the changing climate patterns across the world that has become a cause of concern today. The worst have been the cataclysms bought about in the wake of the shift in long term global weather patterns due to human action. But how was anyone to know that a seemingly routine process as stubble burning by farmers in their fields in nearby states carried on over the years would have long-term effects on the environment in Delhi! As the national capital suffocates, the authorities are now waking up to the fact that while modern farming techniques are proving to be a boon for agriculturists, the damage to the environment has been equally emphatic. Vehicle-emissions too have had a definite impact! With no hope of improvement in the near future, would it be prudent for the country to shift its capital from smog-choked Delhi!
PACHU MENON, Margao
