Joint action plan with Central Govt and NCR states is needed to control pollution in Delhi: Gopal Rai

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is fully committed to addressing the escalating air pollution in Delhi. In this context, Delhi’s Environment Minister Gopal Rai highlighted that, for the first time this winter season, the pollution level in Delhi has surpassed 400.

Environment Minister Gopal Rai said, “Since October 14, the pollution level (AQI) in Delhi has been in the poor and very poor categories. However, in just two days, it has escalated from the very poor to the severe category.”

The Delhi Environment Minister further stated that in light of this, a meeting was held with environmental scientists in the Green War Room today. Following the meeting, Gopal Rai instructed all concerned departments to strictly adhere to the guidelines outlined in GRAP-II.

He further explained that, according to the report presented by the scientists over the last two days, there are two main reasons for the recent increase in pollution levels. He added, “First, the snowfall in the mountains has caused a drop in Delhi’s temperature, leading to fog in the mornings and evenings across North India. Secondly, the wind speed has decreased. These two factors have caused the pollution level to rise rapidly.”

Minister Gopal Rai stated that the wind speed is expected to improve, which should lead to a decrease in pollution levels. He added, “Yesterday, the CAQM held a meeting and decided that GRAP-III will not be implemented in Delhi at this time.”

“Currently, GRAP-II is applicable in Delhi, and the restrictions under it will be strictly enforced. Today, all relevant departments have been redirected in this regard. Any decisions or instructions issued related to GRAP-II—whether concerning anti-dust measures, industrial pollution, or vehicle emissions—must be strictly followed,” he continued.

The Environment Minister stated that the government is closely monitoring the situation. He said, “Our effort is to successfully curb pollution in Delhi by strictly implementing the restrictions of GRAP-II, so that there is no need to implement GRAP-III in the city.”

He further added, “If, in the coming days, adverse weather conditions cause pollution to increase and Delhi’s pollution levels reach the severe category, our government is prepared to take strict measures to protect the health and breathing of the people of Delhi.”

Minister Gopal Rai stated, “I want to present two or three key facts to the people of Delhi and the country. CSE has released an analysis of data from IIIT, covering the period from October 12 to November 3.”

He added, “According to this analysis, the report shows that Delhi’s contribution to the pollution is 30.34 percent, NCR districts contribute 34.97 percent, and districts adjacent to NCR contribute 27.94 percent.”

Minister Gopal Rai further said, “The Delhi government is making every effort to control pollution through the Summer Action Plan and Winter Action Plan. However, to effectively address pollution in Delhi, the central government must collaborate with NCR states and neighboring states to create a joint action plan. This plan must be strictly enforced, with everyone working together to control their respective share of pollution.”

Minister Gopal Rai explained that in 2022, there were 45,172 incidents of stubble burning in Punjab between October 14 and November 13. He added, “When the Punjab government began addressing this issue, the number of stubble burning incidents decreased to 26,127 during the same period in 2023. In 2024, from October 14 to November 13, only 7,492 incidents of stubble burning occurred.”

He continued, saying, “If we look at this reduction in percentage, it is 80 percent. In other words, due to the efforts of our government, the incidents of stubble burning have decreased by 80 percent over the last three years. This data comes from the Central Government. If we analyze this data further, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, which borders Delhi, there were 1,271 incidents of stubble burning in 2022, which increased to 2,167 in 2024.”

Minister Gopal Rai stated that the people of Delhi are not solely responsible for the pollution that the city faces every year. The states of NCR and those adjacent to it are equally accountable. He concluded by saying, “Therefore, if we want to reduce the pollution levels in Delhi, all four governments—Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and the Central Government—must work together. Only then can we effectively control the pollution.”

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