Key Points
CM Rekha Gupta says the BJP government needs 27 months to reverse a 27-year pollution backlog in Delhi.
She claimed that Delhi had “celebrated Diwali and maintained air quality,” despite official data showing the worst dip in 5 years.
She asked why noone had protested declining air quality during previous governments, while the opposition pointed to BJP’s long control of civic bodies, 10 months of state control, and more than 10 years at the Centre.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Sunday, 7 December 2025, said her government needs at least 27 months to address the city’s long-standing air pollution crisis, asserting that the problem is the result of inaction over the past 27 years. Speaking at a public event in Pitampura, she said residents would begin seeing visible improvements in governance in the next six months. Sustained air-quality gains would take more time, she added..
Her remarks come against the backdrop of citizen protests at India Gate against the ‘severe’ air quality in the national capital, where residents demanded immediate action. “I want to ask those protesting at India Gate: the problem of air pollution is not new and has been around for years. Where were your protests before?” Gupta asked. “For 27 years, nothing was done. At least give us 27 months to solve the problem.”
She argued that pollution control is a shared responsibility between government and citizens. She added that her administration is working in “mission mode” and that residents must also avoid practices that contribute to poor air quality.
At the event, Gupta distributed electric heaters to night guards of various Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs). She said the initiative, funded through CSR contributions of the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), aims to curb smoke from open fires lit during winter.
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who joined the distribution, said Delhi’s air quality has shown “significant and encouraging” improvement when compared with previous years, despite a 10% rise in vehicles and over 20% growth in construction activity. Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI on Sunday, however, remained in the ‘very poor’ category at 308.
Gupta criticised earlier pollution-control measures introduced by the AAP government, including the ‘odd-even’ vehicular scheme and smog towers, claiming they failed to improve air quality and amounted to large advertising expenditures. “In 11 years, they did not take any concrete measures,” she said.
See Also: Delhi-NCR Air Quality Turns Severe: AQI Hits 427, Supreme Court Steps In Amid Toxic Smog Crisis
Separately, at the HT Leadership Summit on 4 December 2025, Gupta claimed Delhi had “celebrated Diwali and maintained air quality”. She said pollution levels had stabilised despite festivities. Official data from the Central Pollution Control Board (DPCB) contradicted this claim, showing the highest post-Diwali spike in five years.
Average PM2.5 levels climbed to 488 micrograms per cubic metre the morning after Diwali – nearly 100 times the WHO recommended limit – with a single-night peak of 675. The AQI reading for Diwali stood at 345, higher than 2024’s 328. Fireworks continued past the Supreme Court-mandated two-hour window in several areas despite restrictions.
Gupta described pollution as a “legacy problem” with no “magic wand” solution, stating her government had worked “at a very high speed” during its ten months in power. She linked continued pollution to population growth, increased traffic and a range of structural challenges facing the capital.
The opposition sharply criticised her remarks. Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav called Gupta “short-sighted” and accused her of avoiding accountability. He said BJP governments had controlled the Municipal Corporation of Delhi from 2007 to 2022, governed at the Centre since 2014, and been in power in Delhi for ten months, yet pollution levels remain largely unaddressed. “The CM is evading responsibility,” he said.
Gupta also outlined additional measures underway: expanding mechanical street sweeping and water-sprinkling on major roads; installing mist-spray mechanisms on electricity poles; enforcing stricter controls on industrial emissions; and executing a citywide dust-mitigation plan. She said wall-to-wall carpeting of about 1,400 km of roads is in progress to reduce dust, and open burning of waste or firewood is strictly prohibited. Gas connections are being provided to families relying on firewood.
Emphasising collective responsibility, she urged RWAs and local communities to report any instances of waste or firewood burning. “Every citizen has a crucial role in this fight,” she said.
Despite the government’s assurances, the city’s pollution levels continue to fluctuate in the ‘very poor’ range, with winter conditions expected to further constrain air quality in the weeks ahead. [Rh]
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