Congress questions Modi over Delhi air pollution, demands account of measures taken

Home News Cities Delhi Mallikarjun Kharge says recurring pollution crisis in Delhi and the National Capital Region reflected the government’s failure to address the problem Published - November 10, 2026 10:21 pm IST - New Delhi Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge. File | Photo Credit: ANI Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday (November 10, 2026) accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government of taking piecemeal measures to tackle air pollution, asking why India was becoming a “Vishwaguru” in pollution. Also read | Air pollution over 66 times WHO limit in parts of Delhi as people defy ban on firecrackers on DeepavaliIn a post on X, Mr. Kharge asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would give the country an account of the measures taken to ensure clean air.The Congress president said the recurring pollution crisis in Delhi and the National Capital Region reflected the government’s failure to address the problem. “Piecemeal measures, PR stunts, broken promises and blame games have become the hallmark of the BJP,” he said, adding that clean air was a fundamental right and not a privilege.Post-Deepavali smog envelopes cities as air quality plummets to 'severe' | In picturesA thick layer of toxic haze engulfs Delhi as people commute near Rashtrapati Bhavan, shrouded in thick smog during the early morning of November 9, 2026, a day after Deepavali. The city’s 24-hour average AQI was 370, in the “very poor” category, at 9 a.m.People jog near India Gate, shrouded in thick smog, as Delhi’s AQI touched 404 in the ‘severe’ category at 4 a.m. on November 9, 2026, according to the CPCB’s live dashboard.Burari Crossing recorded Delhi’s highest AQI on November 9, 2026, at 441, followed by Vivek Vihar at 437 and Delhi Technological University at 434. People walking near India Gate.Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is in force across Delhi and adjoining districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, following the CAQM’s decision. A view of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, shrouded in thick smog during the early morning hours after Deepavali night.The Supreme Court had allowed only green firecrackers in specified time windows on November 7 and 8, 2026, but the more polluting traditional crackers were also available in Delhi markets.People commute near Rashtrapati Bhavan, shrouded in thick smog. PM2.5 refers to fine inhalable particles 2.5 micrometres or smaller, which can enter deep into the lungs and the bloodstream and cause respiratory and other health problems. Kherwadi-Bandra East in Mumbai recorded an AQI of 264 on November 9, 2026, followed by Sewri at 226, Ghatkopar at 221 and Chembur at 216. Byculla recorded an AQI of 193, Mindspace-Malad West 191, Kandivali West 187 and Worli 148 in Mumbai on November 9. Kurla was the lowest at 96.Chennai’s AQI slipped to the ‘poor’ category at 213 on the morning of November 9, 2026, according to the CPCB’s Sameer app.A private sensor at the Chennai home of weather blogger K. Srikanth recorded an AQI of around 1,000 for nearly four hours between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on November 8, 2026. Chennai residents said smoke from firecrackers lingered in cramped residential communities, with visibility so poor at one point that people could barely see one another.As of 9 a.m. on November 9, 2026, Manali Village recorded Chennai’s highest AQI at 296, followed by Arumbakkam at 265, Kodungaiyur at 215, Royapuram at 184 and Velachery Residential Area at 142.Hyderabad woke up to a grey, smoggy morning on November 9, 2026, after Deepavali celebrations that went on until 3 a.m. in localities such as Banjara Hills, Panjagutta, S.R. Nagar, Ameerpet and Somajiguda.Smog shrouds the historic Golconda Fort. PM2.5 in Hyderabad reached 392 μg/m³ at 9.30 p.m. on November 8, 2026, with the city’s AQI averaging 509. Ravi Colony near Masjid Banda in Hyderabad logged an AQI of 995 on November 8, 2026, and Serilingampally recorded 666 at 11.30 p.m., when the city average was 442.Telangana Pollution Control Board monitors in Hyderabad were out of order as pollution rose on November 8, 2026, with the University of Hyderabad station offline by 10 p.m. The figures come from publicly available monitors. Hyderabad’s AQI was still 178 on November 9, morning, with PM10 at 113 μg/m³.A vendor walks amid a thick layer of smog, near Sangam in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. Lucknow (251), Amritsar (242), Jodhpur (234), Ahmedabad (230), Dehradun (228), Jaipur and Udaipur (223 each), Surat (207), Nagpur (239), Pune (221) and Bhopal (205) also recorded ‘poor’ air quality on November 9, 2026. 1/3He alleged that PM2.5 readings had disappeared from 36 of Delhi’s 59 monitoring stations as pollution levels peaked this year. He also cited unspent environmental compensation collections of ₹1,154 crore and low utilisation of funds under the National Clean Air Programme.Referring to the Supreme Court’s direction to the BJP-ruled States of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan to submit responses and proposed measures to tackle pollution, Mr. Kharge asked: “Will Modi ji dare to give the nation ‘Hawa Ka Hisaab’ [An Account of the Air]?”“Spend the funds. Cut emissions. Enforce the rules,” he said while calling for sustained action rather than recurring assurances and blame games. Published - November 10, 2026 10:21 pm ISTSign in to unlock member-only benefits!Access 10 free stories every monthSave stories to read laterAccess to comment on every storySign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single clickGet notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products