Delhi Chokes, Politics Heats Up Over Pollution Crisis

• Rahul Gandhi accuses BJP of “changing excuses every year” on pollution
• Sirsa blames both Congress and AAP for Delhi’s air quality crisis
• AQI at 309, several areas breach the 400 mark under “severe” zone
• Experts urge action over blame games amid worsening smog

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 4th Nov: As Delhi battles choking smog, the capital’s pollution crisis has once again triggered a sharp political face-off. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused the BJP of “changing excuses every year” while Delhi’s air turns increasingly poisonous, drawing an immediate rebuttal from Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa.

In a scathing post, Gandhi said, “Year after year, Delhi’s air is turning more poisonous, yet BJP governments keep changing their excuses. Now that the BJP rules both at the Centre and in Delhi, there can be no more excuses. People want clean air, not just promises.”

Responding swiftly, Sirsa hit back, blaming both the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for Delhi’s pollution woes. “Fifteen years of Congress government and ten years of AAP government are responsible for the pollution situation in Delhi. In the last ten years, the cleanest air quality has been recorded this year, under the BJP government,” Sirsa countered.

The exchange comes as Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) dipped to 309 at 7 a.m., falling under the “very poor” category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Areas such as Alipur, Anand Vihar, Burari, and Wazirpur saw AQI readings above 400, entering the “severe” zone. Experts say an AQI between 0–50 is “good”, 51–100 “satisfactory”, 101–200 “moderate”, 201–300 “poor”, 301–400 “very poor”, and 401–500 “severe”.

Environmental specialists warn that the capital’s annual smog crisis cannot be resolved through political blame games alone. Yet, as in previous years, Delhi’s toxic air remains both a health hazard and a political flashpoint—leaving millions of residents gasping for relief.