'Where is clean air?' Congress asks Delhi govt over high February pollution

New Delhi, Feb 28 (PTI) The Congress on Saturday slammed the Delhi government over poor air quality in the national capital, accusing it of making excuses and wondering what happened to its "clean air plan." Congress leader Ajay Maken cited data for the past 24 hours in several parts of the national capital, alleging that the city air had worsened since 2021.

"Delhi's air is getting WORSE, not better," he wrote on X, and cited air pollution metrics from the city's seven stations.

He said that the level of PM2.5 in the last 24 hours at Shadipur, NSIT Dwarka, Wazirpur, Punjabi Bagh, Jahangirpuri, Dhyan Chand Stadium, and IHBAS had gone up by 291 per cent, 131 per cent, 72 per cent, 22 per cent, 21 per cent, 22 per cent, and 6 per cent, respectively, since the level in 2021.

"Late February. Not winter peak. Still toxic," he said.

Maken, who is the party treasurer, cited a 2024 Lancet study that estimated 3.8 million PM2.5-attributable deaths in India from 2009 to 2019 due to exceeding national standards, with every 10 micrograms per cubic metre increase linked to an 8.6 per cent rise in mortality per Harvard research.

"Where is the National Clean Air Plan? 5 years. No improvement. Only excuses," the Congress leader alleged. PTI SKC VN VN