The air quality in Delhi and NCR has once again hit the spotlight as Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav has clarified his statements in Parliament on air quality levels in 2025. The Union Environment Minister had previously said that no “Severe+” air quality days had been recorded in this year, which was called into question by subsequent government records that showed that this had not, in fact, been the case.
The situation has brought to light, once again, issues with monitoring and accountability in dealing with this problem affecting India.
What are the statement & the clarification
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said that his comments in the Rajya Sabha were based on the data available at that time. He said that Delhi-NCR had not reached the AQI of 450, which marks the Severe+ category, until the middle of December.
It was only later that the weather conditions turned bad and air pollution reached its peak. He said that although his comments in the Rajya Sabha were correct in the given time frame, later data changed the entire scenario.
What the data indicates
Data provided by the Central Pollution Control Board reveals a different picture. While on December 14, Delhi’s AQI went as high as 461, on some days of similar dates, Noida recorded air quality above 450.
ALSO READ: Fresh Violence Erupts in Assam’s Karbi Anglong; Section 163 Imposed, Internet Suspended
This again sure enough falls under Severe+, thus defying any claims that those standards were completely shunned in the year 2025. When comparing it to earlier years, a similar trend emerges the air quality touches the most critical levels on some wintery days every year.
Why pollution aggravates during the winter months
“The minister cited human-caused sources as the main contributory factors to poor air quality. Emissions from vehicles, industrial production, dust from construction sites, burning of waste as well as the burning of biomass, all increase particulate matter and toxic emissions into the air. Weather conditions during winter also worsen air quality. Lack of air movement hinders the dispersal of emissions and the low temperatures cause emissions to remain close to the surface, forming thick smog that remains in the air for several days,” said the minister.
ALSO READ: Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar Winners List 2025: Full List of Awardees
Issues from the Indian policy environment
“Setting right the problem of pollution in Delhi alone is impossible,” said Yadav. With the large population of the capital and the constant expansion of the city into other NCR cities, pollutants can easily spread into other areas.
To create more efficient cooperation between these regions, the government has brought in new legal terms under which directives for control of pollution can be imposed outside the borders of the national capital. Despite hopes that the levels of pollution in the capital this year would be below the ‘Severe+’ threshold, recent variations belie these hopes.
ALSO READ: Odisha School Athletes Forced to Sit Near Train Toilets Due to Ticket Chaos While Heading to National Wrestling Championship | Watch
Disclaimer: This article is based on official statements and pollution data available at the time of reporting and may evolve with further updates.
