Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devender Yadav has criticised the Delhi government over what he described as a failure to control Delhi air pollution, citing a 24-hour average Air Quality Index of 261 and readings above 300 in several localities. He alleged that the Winter Action Plan had produced announcements without sufficient action on the ground.
According to a report by Millennium Post, Yadav said Delhi’s average AQI was in the ‘poor’ category and claimed that pollution levels had risen by more than 144 points in a single day. He attributed the deterioration principally to vehicular emissions and construction dust, while questioning whether the city’s pollution-control measures were achieving their stated objectives.
The Congress leader also questioned the effectiveness of the Graded Response Action Plan, or GRAP, which is intended to trigger progressively stricter measures as air quality deteriorates. His remarks focused on the gap between the announcement of pollution-control measures and their implementation across the city. The report did not include a response from the Delhi government to the allegations.
Yadav cited readings recorded in specific parts of Delhi on November 2. Rohini recorded an AQI of 396, Alipur reported 382 and Mundka recorded 377, according to the figures referred to in his statement. All three readings were substantially higher than the citywide 24-hour average cited in the report, highlighting the variation in pollution levels between neighbourhoods.
The figures also place construction activity and road transport at the centre of the political dispute over Delhi’s winter pollution response. Yadav alleged that vehicular emissions and construction dust were contributing to the worsening air quality, but the report did not provide an independent source breakdown quantifying the contribution of either sector.
The AQI readings and the claimed increase were presented in the report as figures cited by Yadav. The supplied material does not include an independent verification of those specific readings, nor does it detail the compliance levels, enforcement actions or operational outcomes under the Winter Action Plan and GRAP.
Yadav also criticised BJP leaders over their public actions concerning the Yamuna. He described East Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari’s symbolic dip in the river as a publicity exercise and referred to former Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva’s hospitalisation after a similar dip in October 2024. Yadav urged the government to focus instead on rising PM2.5 pollution.
The latest criticism places both air-quality enforcement and public communication under scrutiny as Delhi’s winter pollution measures come under political challenge. The next relevant developments will be the Delhi government’s response to the allegations and any further action announced under the Winter Action Plan or GRAP.
