“Delhi’s air quality lies in shambles,” said Amitabh Kant, former NITI Aayog CEO and Sherpa of the 2023 G20 Summit, as he criticised the worsening pollution levels in the capital. In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he warned that only “ruthless and sustained action” can prevent a major health and environmental crisis.

His comments came the morning after Diwali, when Delhi woke up to thick smog and toxic air. Despite restrictions, firecrackers were burst across the city late into the night. The air quality took a serious hit, with many areas recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) above 400, marked as ‘severe’. The overall AQI in Delhi stood at 357 around 1 pm, falling under the ‘very poor’ category.

He also criticised the Supreme Court for allowing the use of firecrackers during Diwali. Earlier this month, the court lifted the complete ban on crackers and allowed people to burst “green crackers” for limited hours, 6–7 am and 8–10 pm. But in many areas, crackers were burst until late at night, ignoring the time limits.

Amitabh Kant said that the Supreme Court’s decision gave more importance to the “right to burn crackers” than the “right to live and breathe”. He added that while cities like Los Angeles, Beijing, and London have successfully improved their air quality, Delhi is still struggling.

To fix this crisis, he called for a strong and united action plan. This includes stopping crop burning, modernising factories like brick kilns and power plants, switching all vehicles to electric by 2030, controlling dust from construction sites, managing waste better, and redesigning Delhi to focus on green spaces and public transport.

Meanwhile, many people online blamed firecrackers for the pollution, while others pointed to stubble burning in nearby states as the main cause. The debate continues, but what’s clear is that Delhi’s air remains dangerous, especially for children, the elderly, and people with breathing problems.