- By Priyanka Koul
- Sat, 06 Dec 2025 07:47 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Despite ongoing pollution records being shattered, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's recent statement has sparked controversy, as it contradicts data showing the city’s deteriorating air quality. The Chief Minister, speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2025 in New Delhi on Saturday, referred to the persistent smog and air pollution in Delhi-NCR as a “legacy problem,” and suggested there could be no “jaadu ki chhadi” (magic wand) to resolve the issue.
Gupta emphasised that controlling air pollution is a long-term process that cannot be fixed overnight. “It is an ongoing process,” she stated, underlining that there is no clear timeline for such complex challenges.
“We cannot do something like a lockdown in a city like Delhi,” she added, pointing to the growing population and the increasing number of vehicles as key contributors to the city’s pollution woes.
“We have to keep the city running and handle pollution at the same time,” Gupta remarked, asserting that her government has made significant progress. “We are doing everything. We move a step forward each day.”
When asked if she could say a 50 per cent drop in AQI would be achieved by her government by a certain time, she said, “We are consistently making efforts, and seeing improvement every day. Yes, one thing is for sure, people of Delhi will know Rekha Gupta gave her 100 per cent .”
The Chief Minister confidently claimed that in the ten months since her government took office, they had moved at a faster pace than previous administrations. "I can say with confidence that, in the 10 months of our government so far, we have done at high speed what the previous governments should have done,” she said, while questioning the efforts of past AAP and Congress governments.
Gupta went on to list some measures taken by the BJP-led government to combat pollution, including providing heaters to discourage open burning of wood and deploying sprinklers for dust control.
However, she rejected allegations that her government had been manipulating the Air Quality Index (AQI) data by sprinkling water around AQI monitoring stations. The CM also denied claims that her government had set up a “fake pond” near the polluted Yamuna river during Chhath Puja.
In a statement on Thursday, Gupta claimed, "We celebrated Diwali and maintained air quality," a statement that sharply contradicts official pollution data from multiple monitoring agencies. The data shows that Delhi recorded its worst post-Diwali air quality in five years.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the average PM 2.5 level on the morning after Diwali skyrocketed to 488 micrograms per cubic meter nearly 100 times higher than the World Health Organization's recommended limit. This marked a massive 212 per cent rise compared to pre-Diwali levels and represented the highest post-Diwali pollution level since 2020.
Gupta acknowledged the increasing pollution, attributing it to factors such as rising population and traffic. However, she reassured residents of Delhi, saying, "I assure the people of Delhi that in the last 10 months, the Delhi government has done everything it could, and done it very swiftly."
It is also important to note that the AQI on Diwali itself reached a staggering 345, significantly higher than 328 in 2024, and much worse than 218 in 2023 and 312 in 2022.
In an effort to reduce pollution, Gupta highlighted the use of hundreds of sprinkler vehicles washing Delhi's Ring Road. She took to social media to announce this initiative, emphasizing that the road washing was being done at regular intervals to reduce dust and pollution.
"For the first time in Delhi, hundreds of sprinkler vehicles are washing the capital's Ring Road. Our mission is one for all – pollution control. Our government is fully alert and committed at every level to wage a decisive war against pollution. This initiative is an effective step towards improving air quality and also reflects the government's strong resolve to provide citizens with a clean environment," she wrote in a post on X.
Despite the claims of progress, Delhi woke up to a thick layer of toxic smog on Saturday morning, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 333, placing it in the “very poor” category. This was a slight improvement from previous weeks, but parts of the city remained covered in dense smog, with the pollution levels continuing to pose serious health risks.
Despite a slight improvement from the recent weeks, several parts of the city remained shrouded in a dense layer of toxic smog.