'Impossible to fix AQI in 9–10 months', says Delhi minister as air remains very poor

Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday apologised to residents for the capital’s worsening air quality, saying it was “impossible” for any elected government to bring down pollution levels within nine to ten months, even as Delhi-NCR continued to reel under severe smog.

Addressing a press conference, Sirsa blamed the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government for the current situation and said the BJP-led administration was working to reverse the damage. “It is impossible for any elected government to reduce AQI in 9–10 months. I apologise for the pollution in Delhi. This disease of pollution has been given to us by the Aam Aadmi Party, and we are working to fix it,” he said, claiming the government had managed to reduce AQI levels day by day.

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According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s Air Quality Index stood at 354 at 4 pm on Tuesday, categorised as ‘very poor’. Earlier in the day, at 8 am, the city recorded an AQI of 378, also in the ‘very poor’ range. While this marked a marginal improvement from Monday, when AQI levels had touched 427 and slipped into the ‘severe’ category, pollution remained dangerously high across large parts of the city.


A thick blanket of toxic smog enveloped Delhi on Tuesday morning, sharply reducing visibility and causing discomfort to residents. Health experts have repeatedly warned that prolonged exposure to such pollution levels can aggravate respiratory and cardiovascular conditions.

Meanwhile, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said the first meeting of its newly constituted Expert Committee to address vehicular emissions in Delhi-NCR was held on Monday under the chairmanship of Ashok Jhunjhunwala, with Prof Randeep Guleria as co-chair. The panel held preliminary discussions on key sources of vehicular pollution and is expected to present actionable recommendations in upcoming meetings.

In view of the deteriorating air quality, CAQM has already invoked all measures under Stage IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) across Delhi-NCR.

With inputs from agencies