Promises In The Air: Delhi recorded an annual average PM2.5 level of 107 µg/m³ in 2024, making it India’s second most polluted city after Byrnihat, Assam (127.3 µg/m³)
Ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, environmentalists have criticised political parties for failing to include concrete action plans to combat air pollution in their manifestos, even as the city continues to be the ‘most polluted capital’ in the world.
Delhi recorded an annual average PM2.5 level of 107 µg/m³ in 2024, making it India’s second most polluted city after Byrnihat, Assam (127.3 µg/m³), according to the Towards Clear Skies 2025 report by Respirer Living Sciences.
While cities like Kolkata and Chennai achieved significant reductions in PM2.5 levels (21.5% and 9.2%, respectively) between 2019 and 2024, Delhi saw only a marginal decline of 1.3%.
What do environmentalists say?
Speaking to Patriot, environmentalist Bhavreen Kandhari highlighted the alarming neglect of air pollution in the manifestos of major political parties, despite Delhi’s status as one of the most polluted cities globally, with PM2.5 levels significantly reducing life expectancy.
“The AAP, which once promised to cut pollution by a third, has shifted focus to other guarantees, ignoring the critical issue of air quality. The BJP, on the other hand, offers only vague pledges and superficial measures like sprinklers and smog towers, sidestepping key contributors such as industrial emissions, waste burning, vehicular pollution, and stubble burning,” Kandhari said.
She also criticised the Congress for its silence on the issue, noting that the party, which once introduced transformative measures like CNG buses under Sheila Dikshit, has failed to address Delhi’s toxic air in this election.
“While conversations about air pollution have emerged, they are largely driven by citizens, not candidates or political parties. These voices remain too few to bring about real change. Without voters uniting to demand decisive action, air pollution will continue to be overlooked, jeopardising public health in favour of political convenience,” she added.
What do the parties say?
When questioned about the absence of specific action plans in their manifestos to combat air pollution, leaders of the top three contenders—AAP, BJP, and Congress—dodged the issue.
Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devender Yadav said, “The grand old party has made an action plan aimed at solving the air pollution crisis and providing fresh air to Delhiites. Once the Congress forms the government in the national capital, we will approve that action plan in the first cabinet meeting itself.” However, Yadav declined to disclose the specifics of the plan.
AAP leader Gopal Rai blamed the BJP-led Central Government for not supporting their efforts to reduce air pollution. “If the Centre had supported us, we could have reduced the pollution in the city by 70%,” Rai claimed. When pressed about the lack of specific measures in AAP’s manifesto, Rai remained silent and refused to comment further.
Meanwhile, BJP senior leader and candidate from the Bijwasan Assembly constituency Kailash Gahlot criticised AAP for failing to take concrete steps to tackle air pollution. “It is very important that the same government be at both the Centre and State to help find a concrete solution to this air pollution endemic in the national capital. Otherwise, the other government will keep on blaming the Centre for not supporting them,” Gahlot said.
Gahlot, who served as a two-time transport minister, also raised concerns about the poor state of public transport in Delhi. “The old buses are retiring at a very high pace, and no new electric buses are being inducted into the fleet. This is one of the main reasons vehicular pollution is the biggest contributor to Delhi’s air pollution. People are forced to use their own vehicles,” Gahlot added.
Though BJP’s manifesto lacks any specific measures to curb air pollution, Gahlot assured, “Once the BJP is voted to power, we will ensure that the people of the national capital are free from toxic air.”
Residents feel their issues are neglected
Delhiites have expressed frustration over the lack of political will to address the air pollution crisis.
“As a lifelong resident of Delhi, I’ve witnessed the city’s air quality deteriorate year after year. It’s disheartening that no political party is prioritising this crisis in their manifestos. They talk about development and guarantees, but what’s the point of development if we can’t even breathe clean air? Our children are growing up with respiratory issues, and yet the political will to tackle this is completely absent. It feels like they’re turning a blind eye to a disaster we’re living every single day,” said Ramesh Kumar (45), a resident of Anand Vihar.
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“Every winter, Delhi turns into a gas chamber, and we all suffer—schools are shut, hospitals are full of patients with respiratory problems, and outdoor activities become impossible. But political parties seem to care more about vote-bank strategies than addressing this public health emergency. We’ve had enough of empty promises and token gestures like smog towers. We need real solutions, like stricter pollution control on industries and vehicles, but no one is stepping up. It’s a complete betrayal of the people,” asserted Meena Singh, a resident of Wazirabad.
Ajit Thakur, another resident, echoed these concerns. “I expected at least one political party to come forward with a solid action plan to combat air pollution, but their manifestos are silent. It’s shocking how something that affects every single resident of Delhi—rich or poor—is being ignored. They seem more interested in flashy campaigns than in fixing the toxic air we breathe. As a citizen, I feel helpless. We vote them into power, yet they fail to address the most basic necessity—clean air. It’s time they realised we won’t stay silent anymore,” he said.
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