New Delhi: As Delhi’s air quality slipped into the ‘very poor’ category following Diwali celebrations, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said it would take nearly two to two-and-a-half years for the national capital’s air to become breathable again.
The city woke up to a thick layer of smog on Tuesday morning, with several areas recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) above 400 — a level considered ‘severe’. The overall AQI in Delhi stood at 350, prompting the enforcement of Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
Reacting to the situation, Tiwari blamed the previous AAP government for Delhi’s pollution crisis. “Their 11-year tenure has just ended. We have been repeatedly saying that it will take us 2–2.5 years to bring Delhi to a health-friendly and breathable condition. Despite that, the same people who polluted Delhi make such statements, and it makes me laugh,” he told ANI.
Tiwari also cited the Supreme Court’s limited approval for green crackers this Diwali, claiming the people of Delhi were “very happy” to celebrate within the guidelines. “The AQI, which used to reach the dangerous category in September, is still below that in October,” he said.
However, reports from several parts of the city indicated widespread violations of the Supreme Court’s prescribed timings — 6–7 pm and 8–10 pm — with firecrackers bursting late into the night. Experts believe this contributed significantly to the post-Diwali spike in pollution levels across Delhi-NCR.
Meanwhile, AAP leaders hit back at the BJP government over its handling of the pollution crisis. AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj accused the Centre of misleading people about artificial rain plans. “The government said that after Diwali, we would fix pollution by conducting artificial rain. Did it happen? No. If you could have done it, why didn’t you? Do you want people to fall ill? The government has a collusion with private hospitals,” he alleged.
Delhi Environment Minister Ashish Sood, however, said pollution control requires cooperation from neighboring states as well. “Only firecrackers are not responsible for pollution in Delhi. Delhi has no weather of its own; many factors, including stubble burning and regional weather patterns, affect its air quality. But people should have followed the Supreme Court’s order to burst crackers before 10 p.m.,” he added.
With air pollution levels once again soaring to hazardous levels, experts have renewed calls for stricter enforcement and regional coordination to prevent Delhi from choking every winter.
