Analysing the role of environmental communication with respect to CAQM policy on Delhi air quality

Environmental communication is crucial in shaping the narrative around the aggravated issues like climate change, global warming, sea-level rise, air-pollution and pushing for impactful actions. With the burgeoning economy and rising population, the large democracy of India is facing a critical issue of air pollution in major cities, with Delhi consistently ranking first due to its persistently high air quality index (AQI) throughout the year. The Commission on Air Quality Management (CAQM) of India, a statutory government body, works diligently to improve the air quality of Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). In July 2022, in accordance with the directives of the Honourable Supreme Court of India, CAQM launched the CAQM policy to find a permanent solution to air pollution, aiming to develop an inclusive policy addressing all sectors contributing to and affected by pollution. This study aims to explore the ways in which environmental challenges, such as air pollution, are conveyed to both citizens and policy makers through environmental communication. Upon analysing 277 news articles from eight leading news agencies, including four newspapers and four news channels, over a six-month period prior to the emergence of the CAQM policy in 2022, it was observed that news coverage is heavily concentrated during the post-monsoon season (with 68% of the analysed news articles concentrated in October and November). This period in North India is prominently under focus due to 'stubble burning' activities mainly occurring in the states of Punjab and Haryana. Hence, a strong connection between the news articles and active number of fire locations has also been found. However, it was found that news articles do not proportionately reflect fluctuations in the Air Quality Index (AQI), for example, no news articles were noted on December 23rd and 24^th 2022, despite AQI values reaching 524 and 522 respectively. Similarly, from January to March 2022, news coverage was minimal despite high AQI levels, indicating that coverage is more linked to periods of higher fire activity in Punjab and Haryana, rather than AQI levels in Delhi. We also attempted to find a possible connection between the issues raised in the news media during the period of our interest and the CAQM policy that was formed in April 2022. It is noticed that, while the CAQM policy aimed to improve air quality and, consequently, public health, media coverage paid relatively less attention to the health implications (barely 56 articles mentioning health or mortality). The recommendations for a new policy did rise but again from November 10th to December 5th, with 96 articles published during this period, suggesting a period-specific coverage. This indicates that media reporting focuses heavily on stubble burning, whereas the CAQM policy treats it as just another pollution source, without special emphasis. Hence, for our case study, it is noted that the media's coverage of environmental communication seems to be less comprehensive and lacks depth compared to the detailed measures outlined in CAQM policy addressing air pollution.