New Delhi: The Union Government on Thursday dismissed claims that one in every seven deaths in Delhi is caused by toxic air, asserting in the Rajya Sabha that there is “no conclusive evidence” to support such findings, despite multiple studies cited in media reports. The statement came in response to a question raised by MP Laxmikant Bajpayee on the health impact of hazardous pollution levels in Delhi-NCR.
Responding to the query, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh noted that not a single day in 2025 has seen Delhi’s AQI reach the ‘severe plus’ category, according to official monitoring.
Government Lists Measures to Counter Pollution
The minister outlined several initiatives being implemented to improve air quality, including the work of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), formed under the 2021 Act governing pollution control in NCR. The Commission has issued 95 statutory directions to different authorities, he informed the House.
The updated Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) now allows preventive measures to be triggered in advance using daily forecasts from IMD and IITM. Actions include restricting polluting vehicles, managing construction dust, enforcing waste handling, and mechanised road cleaning.
Air Quality Trends Show Improvement
According to the Ministry:
- Good AQI days (AQI < 200) rose to 200 in 2025, compared to 110 in 2016.
- Very Poor + Severe AQI days fell from 71 in 2024 to 50 in 2025.
- Delhi recorded the lowest average annual AQI since 2018 (excluding the lockdown year 2020).
These improvements were attributed to coordinated actions under NCAP and review meetings held regularly in 2025 to push enforcement and fund utilisation.
Tech Platforms for Citizen Support
Platforms like SAMEER and PRANA are being used to provide real-time pollution updates and enable the public to lodge pollution-related grievances directly with authorities.
