Kharge questions government over rising air pollution in Delhi
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP-led government of failing to address the air quality crisis in the national capital.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday criticised the central government regarding the deteriorating air quality in Delhi. According to reports by The Times of India and The Hindu, Kharge questioned why the capital was becoming a 'Vishwaguru' in air pollution.
The Congress leader alleged that PM2.5 readings disappeared from 36 of Delhi's 59 monitoring stations as pollution levels peaked. He claimed that the government has taken only piecemeal measures and that clean air is a fundamental right rather than a privilege.
Kharge cited data from the Global Burden of Disease and Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, stating that an estimated 17,188 deaths in Delhi in 2023 were linked to particulate air pollution. This figure represents nearly 15 per cent of all deaths in the city.
The Congress president also referenced the State of Global Air 2024 report, which estimated that 1,69,400 children under five years old died from air pollution-related causes across India in 2021. He further noted that Delhi had used only 17 per cent of the National Clean Air Programme funds released up to December 2025.
Regarding finances, Kharge cited a September 2026 RTI response showing that Rs 1,154 crore, or nearly 60 per cent of Delhi's environmental compensation collections, remained unspent. He challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide 'Hawa Ka Hisaab' regarding the nation's air quality.
The Supreme Court has directed BJP-ruled Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to submit proposed measures and detailed responses to the pollution crisis within two weeks.