China's Smog Story Lands in Delhi: Can Beijing's Playbook Really Work Here?

New Delhi: With the national capital choked by hazardous smog and public frustration rising, the Chinese Embassy in India has published a detailed guide on how Beijing fought severe air pollution and suggested that parts of that approach could be useful for Delhi.

In a series of posts from the embassy, spokesperson Yu Jing explained how Beijing, once notorious for toxic winter smog, brought down pollution through sweeping reforms. Her message came as Delhi's air quality index continues to hit dangerous levels every winter, forcing schools to shut and health warnings to be issued.

What does China recommend?

According to the embassy’s posts on X, China's experience focused on various fronts:

• Stricter vehicle controls and cleaner transport: Beijing adopted very tight emissions norms, phased out older high-polluting vehicles, and pushed massive expansion of public transport like metros and buses. There were also measures like controlling the growth of private cars through licensing rules and promoting electric vehicles.
• Industrial restructuring: China shut down or relocated more than 3,000 heavy industries from the capital region, one of its major pollution sources. The move reportedly cut particulate pollution significantly and freed up land for parks, commercial spaces, and even Olympic venues.
• Coal reduction: China shifted over 1 million rural households and all urban areas from coal heating to cleaner electricity or natural gas.
• Dust control: China used specialised water sprayers and mechanical sweepers to clean the road around construction zones to prevent road dust resuspension

The embassy’s advice stresses that cleaner air took years of sustained effort and was not the result of short-term fixes.

Why is Delhi still struggling?

Delhi's winter smog has deepened this season, with the city repeatedly ranking among the world's most polluted capitals. Officials have deployed anti-smog guns, water sprinklers and temporary traffic restrictions, but overall air quality remains poor.