India, Jan. 5 -- Every winter, Delhi's air pollution crisis returns with grim predictability. Schools shut, hospitals issue advisories, flights are delayed, and public anger briefly peaks. The debate that follows is equally familiar: stubble burning versus vehicles, construction dust versus coal plants, individual behaviour versus government failure. Yet despite years of discussion and data, the air remains toxic. This persistence points to two deeper truths: a lack of public clarity about the issue, and a failure of public systems-planning, governance, and institutional capacity-unfolding in plain sight.

At the same time, several civic efforts are working to address these gaps. One point is often missing from the public narrative: air p...