A concerned Reddit user from Northern India posted alarming footage captured by a drone showing the scale of air pollution in the Himachal Pradesh region. In addition to the clearly visible clouds of pollutants, they noted another problem.
"Additionally, one can notice how scarce the mountain snow is," they wrote, posting in March, "and it isn't even April yet. Along with global warming, pollution here is a factor too."
The footage prompted several comments, including one in which a user shared a recent snap of the same area with clear skies. "Was like this ten days ago," the commenter said. Another suggested the clouds might have been caused by pollen rather than particulate matter, but the original poster was adamant, replying, "I can assure you pollen and water doesn't look like smoke."
The discussion raises an important point about air pollution. According to the World Health Organization, outdoor air pollution is responsible for over four million premature deaths worldwide, and the problem is especially acute in India. Of the 100 most-polluted cities in the world, 83 are in India, per CNN. There are many reasons, but one of the biggest is that India still draws most of its energy from coal.
Other nations are phasing out coal, but India's overdependence on the dirtiest of all dirty fuels won't end any time soon. An analysis by Brookings found that "coal will remain the dominant fuel for electricity generation in India through 2030 and beyond."
In Himachal Pradesh, the problems are compounded by construction and infrastructure projects. The Times of India reported that the region has 41 hydroelectric dams in operation or being built, with only three solar projects.
One of the comments picked up on the construction issue, writing: "A lot of the dust is road construction and road dirt that is kicked up by vehicles. Till we get smooth, perfect roads this problem will persist."
Another Redditor succinctly captured the heart of the issue: that it's past time to take pollution seriously. "Wake up, Himachal Pradesh," they just said.
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