Delhi Pollution Forces Gadkari to Rethink Visits Amid Urgent Call for Green Shift
Delhi’s choking air has grown so unlivable that even Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari says he books his return ticket the moment he lands. Speaking at a plantation event on the Faridabad-Noida Airport Road, the minister delivered a stark message: Delhi’s worsening pollution is not only hurting public health but also repelling those who serve it.
“Whenever I come to Delhi, I immediately start thinking about when to leave. It’s that serious,” Gadkari remarked at the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0’ drive, underlining how toxic air is no longer just a seasonal crisis but a systemic failure. The minister, known for pushing green innovation in transport, reiterated the urgent need for large-scale plantation drives and a switch to alternative fuels like ethanol and methanol. “We have repurposed over 80 lakh tonnes of waste for road construction. Sustainability must guide our infrastructure,” he said, adding that rainwater harvesting systems are also being installed across national highways.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has committed to expanding green corridors by planting bamboo, dense foliage, and vertical gardens—eco-friendly buffers aimed at curbing vehicular emissions and heat. Delhi’s air quality has hovered in the ‘satisfactory’ zone this monsoon, but officials warn of its sharp decline post-October. During peak winter, pollution routinely pushes the Air Quality Index (AQI) beyond the ‘severe’ 400+ mark, triggering school closures, health emergencies, and international headlines.
With the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) categorising AQI levels above 300 as ‘very poor’, experts believe that Delhi has reached a tipping point. Gadkari’s remarks reflect a broader anxiety in India’s urban governance: when ministers no longer want to linger in the capital, what does that say about the future of its citizens?
If Delhi wants to remain the nation’s nerve centre, it must now fight for its lungs.
