'Celebrated Diwali, Maintained Air Quality': Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday claimed that the capital had "celebrated Diwali and maintained air quality." Speaking at the HT Leadership Summit this morning, Gupta argued that the capital's pollution levels had "stabilised despite festivities". The remark, however, stands at odds with official data from multiple monitoring agencies, which show that Delhi witnessed its worst post-Diwali air quality in five years.

Data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed average PM2.5 levels soaring to 488 micrograms per cubic metre the morning after Diwali -- nearly 100 times the World Health Organisation's recommended exposure limit. The levels represented a staggering 212 per cent jump from pre-Diwali readings and were the highest post-festival numbers recorded since 2020.

"The way by which population has gone up, traffic on road is up... there are many reasons which contribute to Delhi's pollution," the Chief Minister added. 

A single-night peak of 675 micrograms per cubic metre was reported post-Diwali, as fireworks continued well past the two-hour window permitted by the Supreme Court. The Court had earlier allowed only "green crackers" within a strict time period, but enforcement appeared patchy across neighbourhoods.

The Delhi Chief Minister attributed persistent air pollution to "a legacy problem", adding that there is no "jaadu ki chhadi" (magic wand) to solve it. 

"I assure the people of Delhi that whatever the Delhi government was supposed to do in 10 months, we did it at a very high speed," the Chief Minister claimed. 

This year's Air Quality Index (AQI) reading for Diwali stood at 345, higher than 2024's 328 and far above the 2023 and 2022 figures of 218 and 312, respectively.