New Delhi: Delhi’s air quality took a sharp turn for the worse on Friday morning as the Air Quality Index (AQI) surged to 301, placing the national capital in the “very poor” category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board.
The spike, attributed to dust-laden winds from Rajasthan, marks an unusual deterioration in air quality for the month of May. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported sudden gusts reaching 30–40 kmph sweeping across Palam and neighboring areas overnight, triggering a significant uptick in dust pollution.
By 7 a.m., major monitoring stations in the city reported AQI readings well above 300 — Anant Vihar at 352, Ashok Vihar at 322, and Aya Nagar at 333 — all firmly in the “very poor” zone. AQI values between 301 and 400 are considered hazardous for sensitive groups and can cause respiratory discomfort to the general public.
While the IMD classified the conditions as a weather anomaly, the environmental crisis quickly spiraled into a political flashpoint.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, accusing it of reneging on its election pledges to tackle pollution. “In the month of May itself, Delhi-NCR is covered in a blanket of pollution. AQI has crossed 500 in many areas. Dust and poisonous air have spread like never before,” AAP posted on social media platform X. “There are BJP governments in Delhi and surrounding states, but none are doing anything to reduce pollution.”
AAP’s national convenor and former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal also weighed in, claiming, “Air pollution was never this bad during the AAP regime at this time of the year.”
In a swift counter, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa blamed the AAP’s decade-long governance for Delhi’s chronic pollution woes. “It’s surprising that Atishi, who served as CM, is tweeting such remarks. The weather department had already predicted thunderstorms and dust storms. Are we now being blamed for natural phenomena?” Sirsa said in a statement. “Still, we accept the challenge. The disease that ‘AAP-da’ gave us for 10 years — we will treat it and clean Delhi’s air.”
As the capital battles a rare May pollution episode, residents are once again caught between worsening environmental conditions and a deepening political blame game.
