Every winter, air pollution in the national Capital seizes media headlines and social media virality. Beyond short-term measures and individual coping strategies, there are a few clear solutions on the table. Addressing air quality will require sustained policy action over time. What receives very little or no attention in comparison is another form of pollution — noise.

One part of this problem is visible and familiar — traffic and honking. Honking is now deeply embedded in how Delhi drives. Our traffic movement is not rule-based; it is based on negotiation and risk-taking.

There is limited trust that other drivers will behave predictably. Assertion replaces right of way.

In that sense, honking is not just a traffic issue. It reflects how movement takes place in the city — through assertion rather........

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