The complete northern region on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti celebrated the Guru Purab last week with a lot of enthusiasm and piety. In these times, when this region is in the annual grip of a polluted air, a saying of revered Guru becomes very relevant. Nanak Said, “Pavan Guru, Pani Pita, Mata Dharat Mahat.” Meaning the air is the Guru, water the Father, and earth the Great Mother.
What Nanak conveys is that the natural world is a shared home, and humanity is collectively responsible for protecting it. He envisioned a world built on equality, compassion, and shared moral duty. His reverence for nature expands the idea of community to include the environment, teaching that our collective duty extends to protecting the planet itself.
In today’s context, this teaching resonates deeply. The air that sustains life has turned toxic, the rivers that nurture us are stressed by waste and pollution, and the earth, our great mother, is choking under layers of neglect and environmental indifference. Guru Nanak’s philosophy of equality and compassion was not confined to human relations but extended to the entire ecosystem. His words compel us to rethink our responsibilities not just as inhabitants but as custodians of this shared planet.
Today, when the entire northern region is facing an environmentally difficult time, it is the collective responsibility of the state governments of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to restore air quality to levels that do not harm human life.
The meteorology of the Indus-Ganga Plain binds these states together. What happens in one affects all. Winds carry pollutants across state and international borders, and the thick atmospheric layer in winter traps them close to the ground. The burning of crop residue (parali) after paddy harvest, vehicular emissions, industrial discharge, and construction dust together form a lethal cocktail. This toxic mix blurs the lines of administrative jurisdiction and highlights that pollution does not recognise state boundaries.
While Delhi’s air quality remains a concern, data from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) shows that several cities in Punjab and Haryana have recorded even higher AQI levels in recent days, suggesting that regional and inter-state factors particularly stubble burning and wind direction continue to play a major role.
For too long, the dialogue around air pollution has been mired in blame-shifting. Delhi points to Punjab’s stubble burning, Punjab and Haryana cite economic helplessness of farmers, and Uttar Pradesh grapples with its own industrial and vehicular emissions. The time has come to rise above this fragmentation and forge a collective, coordinated response.
The Constitution’s Seventh Schedule places “air and water pollution” under the concurrent list meaning that both the Centre and the states share responsibility. Thus, effective governance demands collaboration, not competition. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas was established precisely to address this challenge. However, its success depends on the political will and administrative commitment of each state government.
Farmers, often blamed for the smoke that darken northern skies, are not the culprits but victims of systemic neglect. The cycle of debt, dependence on water-guzzling paddy, and absence of procurement support for alternative crops forces them into short-term, low-cost stubble disposal through burning. Any sustainable solution must prioritize economic justice alongside environmental responsibility.
Delhi, as the economic hub, can play a catalytic role by funding regional pollution-control initiatives and supporting green transition programs. States like Uttar Pradesh can tighten industrial emission norms, while Punjab and Haryana can focus on sustainable farming. The Centre, for its part, must ensure that funds under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and the Crop Residue Management Scheme (CRMS) are disbursed efficiently and monitored transparently.
When the people of Delhi struggle to breathe, when farmers in Punjab inhale the smoke of their own fields, and when children in Haryana cough through their schooldays, it is not just pollution — it is a collective failure of empathy and governance. The path forward lies in shared accountability and joint action. Pollution control cannot be achieved through isolated efforts. It requires regional pacts, cross-border task forces, and transparent coordination mechanisms. Cities and states must see themselves not as competitors but as partners in survival.
Sidharth Mishra
Author and president, Centre for Reforms, Development & Justice