As smog blankets Delhi with ‘very poor’ air quality, as indicated by AQI readings of 380 at RK Puram, 355 at Anand Vihar and other hotspots, Congress criticised BJP government for offering festival sermons instead of accountability.
The national capital is once again shrouded in a dense blanket of smog, with air quality readings slipping deep into the ‘very poor’ category and public frustration rising. In response, political temperatures have soared as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) engage in a heated blame-game over who is responsible for the hazardous air.
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On Wednesday morning, data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) revealed alarmingly high air quality index (AQI) values in key locations across Delhi. In RK Puram the index stood at 380, in Bawana at 376, Dwarka Sector 8 at 353, Nehru Nagar at 394, ITO at 362, and Chandni Chowk at 332, all firmly in the ‘very poor’ category.
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Congress criticises Delhi government
Amid the deterioration, senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi took aim at the BJP government in Delhi, saying:
“The air is grey, the lungs are black, and the BJP’s accountability is invisible. Delhi doesn’t need sermons on festivals; it needs a government that can breathe responsibility.”
Singhvi’s criticism came as Delhiites awoke to a thick haze just after the Diwali festival on October 20, and the political conflict that often surrounds the city’s smog resurfaced with full force.
Environment Minister blames AAP for playing politics
On the government side, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa of the BJP-led Delhi administration accused the AAP of scapegoating Diwali fireworks and of playing politics with the air that more than 30 million residents breathe. “The AAP is fully focused on proving that the pollution here in Delhi is due to Diwali. This is because they have a particular vote-bank, whom they want to appease,” Sirsa told ANI.
He asserted that the real cause of the worsening air was intentional and organised stubble-burning in neighbouring states, particularly Punjab, alleging:
“Over the past four days, stubble-burning incidents in Punjab have surged sharply and this is no coincidence. Farmers are being pressured and provoked to burn stubble so that pollution in Delhi can be used politically to target the Delhi Government.”
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AAP calls accusations ‘shameful’
In response, AAP leaders hit back. Delhi AAP President Saurabh Bharadwaj called the accusations ‘shameful’, saying they unfairly targeted Sikh farmers and diverted attention from the city government’s failure to act.
“When asked about hiding pollution data by CPCB and DPCC in a press conference of a BJP minister, the response was evasive,” Bharadwaj said on social media.
Saurabh Bhardwaj added, “… They are corrupt and criminals, what they have done is a criminal act… Four different government agencies worked together to collect Delhi’s pollution data on the night of Diwali… Today’s news states that Nehru Nagar station recorded an AQI of 1763, after which it was shut down. They are playing with people’s health…”
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Efforts to tackle the pollution in Delhi
Delhi Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta (BJP), defended her government’s efforts, stating that her administration is working ‘proactively’ on big-ticket measures like cloud-seeding (artificial rain) and electrification of public transport. She announced a goal to deploy 10,000 electric buses by 2027, alongside installation of charging stations across the city.
CM Rekha Gupta added, “We have all seen the data. If we compare the data (AQI) of the next day of Diwali with the previous governments, the number has decreased. Although permission was granted to burst firecrackers, the gap (AQI) between the dates of Diwali and the next day has decreased, indicating a decrease in pollution. The government is doing whatever is possible for Delhi…”
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Sirsa elaborated on the cloud-seeding plan:
“We are working on it. But for cloud seeding, clouds are needed. We’ve received all permissions. Planes and pilots are ready. We’re now waiting for the weather department to give the green signal. Within a week, if there are clouds, we’ll proceed.”
According to the minister, all technical groundwork i. e. agreements, MOUs, pilot training and aircraft provisioning was completed in just seven months. Yet he acknowledged that until the meteorological conditions (i.e., sufficient cloud cover) are met, artificial rain cannot be triggered.
He also cited figures intended to bolster his argument that fireworks were not the prime driver of pollution:
“In 2020, the firecrackers in Diwali were going on. PM2.5 was 414 before Diwali and 435 after, a rise of 21 points. In 2021 it was 80 points. In 2024 when firecrackers were banned the increase was 32 points. This year, with green crackers, it rose from 345 to 356, just 11 points.”
Still, sceptics dismissed that logic. For the AAP, the core complaint is that despite promises, the BJP government has not delivered visible change on the ground, particularly in consistently lowering ambient pollution and ensuring data transparency.
(With ANI inputs)
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