Congress questions Modi government over Delhi air pollution crisis

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government of failing to tackle the recurring air pollution crisis in Delhi and the National Capital Region. In a post on social media, Mr. Kharge criticized the administration for taking piecemeal measures and asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi would give the country an account of the steps taken to ensure clean air. He stated that clean air is a fundamental right rather than a privilege, while describing the government's approach as a mix of public relations stunts, broken promises, and blame games. Mr. Kharge pointed out that PM2.5 readings had disappeared from 36 of Delhi's 59 monitoring stations as pollution levels reached their peak this year. He also highlighted that ₹1,154 crore in environmental compensation collections remained unspent, alongside low fund utilisation under the National Clean Air Programme. Pointing to a recent Supreme Court direction, he noted that the court had asked BJP-ruled states including Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to submit responses and proposed measures to fight pollution.

Context

Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region face severe air quality drops every year, especially during the winter months, due to a combination of local emissions, weather conditions, and seasonal stubble burning. Public health experts and courts routinely press governments to properly utilise allocated environmental funds and enforce anti-pollution rules to protect residents from toxic air.