India, Oct. 24 -- Every winter, as haze settles over Delhi, air pollution returns to the centre of public concern. From decades-old studies of dusty skies to landmark court orders, cleaner fuel schemes and now AI-powered cameras, the city's fight against polluted air has changed over the years.

In 1954, a study titled "Is the incidence of unusually dusty weather over Delhi in May and June for the two consecutive summers of 1952 and 1953 an indication that the Rajasthan Desert is advancing towards Delhi?" examined dust storms and weather observations in the capital. It raised the question of whether the desert was advancing towards Delhi, though it did not establish that this was happening.

Another study, "Studies on atmospheric particul...