Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday targeted the Punjab government, claiming that stubble burning in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-governed State continues “unchecked”.
“States such as Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have shown positive progress in crop-residue management in recent years, but the volume of smoke coming from Punjab is significantly high,” Ms. Gupta said at a meeting of the Northern Zonal Council in Faridabad.
Hoping for a collective resolution to the issue, the Chief Minister sought cooperation from neighbouring States in taking measures to eliminate stubble burning, make inter-State transport zero-emission, reduce dust from major and minor roads connecting the States, and control pollution at nearby industrial facilities, according to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office.
Push for e-vehicles
She also highlighted Delhi’s push for a fully electric bus fleet and urged satellite cities in the National Capital Region to accelerate their transition to electric buses, taxis and autorickshaws to bring about a substantial reduction in pollution.
On the issue of drinking water supply, the Chief Minister emphasised the need to revise the 1994 Yamuna water-sharing agreement. “Considering Delhi’s growing requirements, the Chief Minister reiterated that Delhi’s share of Yamuna water be increased from 980 million gallons per day to 1,250 million gallons per day,” the statement read.
‘Very poor’ AQI
Delhi’s air quality remained in the ‘very poor’ category on Monday, with the 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) recorded at 351 at 4 p.m., slightly better than the previous day’s reading of 377, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.
The AQI is expected to remain at similar levels for the next three days.
‘Severe’ air pollution was recorded in Ghaziabad, while several other cities in north India reeled under ‘very poor’ air quality.
An AQI between 51 and 100 is ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
Meanwhile, a group of schoolchildren have approached the Delhi High Court seeking directions to the Delhi government to revise its annual outdoor sports calendar and shift tournaments, trials and coaching camps to months with “verifiably better ambient air quality”.
Schoolgoers’ plea in HC
The petitioners, who participate in State-scheduled sports tournaments, camps and trials, argue that continuing to schedule these sporting events between November and January each year, when the pollution level in the national capital routinely falls into the ‘severe’ and ‘hazardous’ categories, puts “the school’s students at serious health risk”. The petition states that the children, who actively participate in zonal, inter-zonal, State and national sporting activities, are being forced to engage in strenuous physical exertion in “a highly toxic environment”.
“In fact, even as on the date of filing of the instant petition, the AQI in Delhi is consistently in the ‘Severe’ category; the statutory stage 3 of the graded response action plan emergency plan has been put in force,” the petition, filed through advocates Manjira Dasgupta, Bhargav Ravindran Thali and Mayank Khaitan, stated.
“At present, children across Delhi are being compelled to choose between participating in such State-scheduled sports events [at the cost of permanent irreparable damage to their physical health], or remain indoors to mitigate and prevent such harm,” the plea stated.
The lead petitioner, Nysa Bedi, a football and cricket player, recently participated in the Delhi government’s under-19 girls’ football tournament from November 10 to 14 and is scheduled to attend the Football Nationals Selection and Training Camp the week of November 17.
Apart from Ms. Bedi, 10 other school students are party to the petition.
Published – November 18, 2025 01:27 am IST
