Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor raised concern over Delhi's degrading air quality. Tharoor said Delhi was “essentially uninhabitable” between November and January due to poor air quality and questioned whether it should remain the nation's capital.

Sharing a post on X, Shashi Tharoor cited the AQI data of the Swiss air quality technology company IQAir, said Delhi is officially the most polluted city in the world after Dhaka, and held the government accountable for “doing nothing.”

The Congress leader wrote, “ Delhi is officially the most polluted city in the world, at 4x Hazardous levels and nearly five times as bad as the second most polluted city, Dhaka. It is unconscionable that our government has been witnessing this nightmare for years and does nothing about it.”

“I have run an air quality round table for experts and stakeholders, including MPs, since 2015 but gave up last year because nothing seemed to change and no one seemed to care. This city is essentially uninhabitable from November to January inclusive and barely livable the rest of the year. Should it even remain the nation’s capital?”, Tharoor added.

Delhi’s air quality

The air quality in Delhi and the surrounding National Capital Region (NCR) is extremely poor, with pollution levels reaching "dangerous" highs. On Tuesday morning, most air quality monitoring stations recorded an AQI (Air Quality Index) of 500, which is in the "severe plus" category.

This dense smog has been blanketing the area for the seventh day in a row. The AQI was 494 on Monday, 441 on Sunday, and 417 on Saturday, all indicating very unhealthy air. This ongoing pollution is raising serious concerns about health and safety.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) stated that at 5 a.m., the air quality index (AQI) in several areas of Delhi, including Anand Vihar, Ashok Vihar, Bawana, Jahangirpuri, and Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, reached the hazardous 500 mark.

The Delhi government has called the situation a "medical emergency" and urged everyone to take steps to protect public health. In response to the dangerous air quality, schools and colleges in Delhi-NCR have already moved to online classes.