Small cities aren’t just smaller versions of metros, but distinct ecosystems deserving targeted recognition and interventions.

As smog thickens and PM2.5 soars, small cities are gasping for breath, yet many remain invisible on pollution maps. In Nāgrika’s Climate Change Series, Part 4 unpacks how climate change fuels toxic air, why monitoring falls short, and what’s at stake when the country’s most polluted places go unnoticed in policy response.

Cities are both culprits and casualties in the climate crisis. But what about the ones we rarely hear about? In Nāgrika’s Climate Change Series, Part 1 zooms in on India’s small and midsized cities, revealing overlooked risks, urgent gaps in data, and why ignoring them could mean missing the bigger climate picture entirely.

What if not just tech, but mothers could too help clean the air? With most Indian cities still lacking basic air quality monitoring, innovations like mobile sensors and citizen-led campaigns are stepping in. A hyperlocal push is reshaping how cities track pollution. But can these efforts bridge the gap left by missing infrastructure, and make the right to clean air a reality?

Kochi is grappling with toxic fumes from a fire at the Brahmapuram waste plant, worsening the city’s air quality. While this incident highlights the risks of poorly managed landfills, it’s far from an isolated case. Cities across India are dealing with similar fires. As waste management struggles, could innovative solutions like zero-landfill models and advanced technologies provide a way forward?

Hubli-Dharwad’s crackdown on illegal hoardings is part of a growing trend in Indian cities like Manesar, Guntur, and Kolkata that are addressing the problem of visual pollution. As cities explore new policies and eco-friendly alternatives, some still struggle with enforcement and environmental concerns. Are cleaner, more sustainable public spaces finally within reach or will illegal hoardings continue to dominate public spaces?

India's pollution challenge is in the spotlight again, with debates over data credibility and global comparisons. While the Yale Environmental Performance Index ranked India last among 180 countries, Indian authorities question its methodology. Meanwhile, AQI data paints a grim picture, with Bihar cities topping pollution charts. As standards evolve, is it time for a more reliable and context-specific ranking system for Indian cities?