Delhi Air Quality Crisis: Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's Claims Contradict Record Post-Diwali Pollution Data

New Delhi:

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta declared on Thursday that the capital had "celebrated Diwali and maintained air quality." During her address at the HT Leadership Summit, Gupta suggested that pollution levels in the capital had "stabilised despite festivities." However, this statement contradicts official measurements from multiple monitoring agencies, which indicate Delhi experienced its worst post-Diwali air quality in five years.

According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, average PM2.5 concentrations reached 488 micrograms per cubic metre the morning following Diwali – approximately 100 times higher than the World Health Organisation's recommended safe exposure limit. These levels represented a dramatic 212 percent increase from pre-Diwali readings and marked the highest post-festival measurements recorded since 2020.

"The way by which population has gone up, traffic on road is up... there are many reasons which contribute to Delhi's pollution," the Chief Minister further stated.

Monitoring stations recorded a single-night peak of 675 micrograms per cubic metre post-Diwali, as fireworks continued well beyond the two-hour window authorized by the Supreme Court. The Court had previously permitted only "green crackers" within a specific time frame, but enforcement appeared inconsistent across neighborhoods.

The Delhi Chief Minister characterized persistent air pollution as "a legacy problem," noting there is no "jaadu ki chhadi" (magic wand) to resolve it.

"I assure the people of Delhi that whatever the Delhi government was supposed to do in 10 months, we did it at a very high speed," the Chief Minister asserted.

This year's Air Quality Index (AQI) reading for Diwali measured 345, exceeding 2024's 328 and significantly higher than the 2023 and 2022 readings of 218 and 312, respectively.