The issue of Delhi's worsening air pollution took centre stage at the Northern Zonal Council meeting in Faridabad on Monday, with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta urging neighbouring states for immediate and coordinated action.
Chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the meeting brought together the region's top leadership, as Gupta stressed that Delhi's pollution crisis cannot be tackled in isolation.
During the meeting, Gupta pushed for tougher curbs on stubble burning, stricter enforcement of industrial pollution regulations, improved road-dust control, and a transition to zero-emission inter-state transport.
Her intervention came as Delhi's air quality continued to deteriorate, with CPCB data at 4 pm recording an AQI of 351, placing the city firmly in the “very poor” category and adding to residents' health concerns.
The political push comes shortly after the Supreme Court criticised Punjab and Haryana for what it described as “mere eyewash” in preventing farm fires, questioning the accuracy of reported pollution data and flagging poor enforcement of environmental laws.
The court has demanded detailed action reports, signalling impatience as air quality continues to worsen across Delhi and the NCR region.
Data from recent months highlights the scale of the problem. Delhi recorded 27 polluted days in October, with several periods classified as “severe.” Experts note that stubble-burning smoke contributes over 22 per cent of Delhi's PM2.5 on peak days, while vehicle emissions, construction dust, and local industrial activity keep pollution levels high.
Environmental researchers continue to advocate for multi-pronged interventions, including technologies like the “happy seeder” to reduce crop residue burning.
Residents are growing increasingly frustrated, staging demonstrations across the capital and demanding more than repeated promises from authorities.
