Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday said air pollution in north India is a national emergency that requires a collective response instead of political blame games.

“North India’s air pollution is a national emergency – a public health crisis that steals the future of our children and suffocates the elderly, and an ecological and economic disaster that destroys countless lives,” Gandhi wrote on X, while sharing a video of him . interaction with ecologist Vimlendu Jha.

Several cities in northern India, particularly Delhi and its nearby cities of Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad, have been facing severe air pollution for the past few weeks.

Rahul Gandhi said the poor suffer the most from air pollution, unable to escape the toxic air that surrounds them, adding that toxic air also causes a decline in tourism and global reputation.

“…Families yearn for fresh air, children fall ill and millions of lives are cut short. Tourism is declining and our global reputation is crumbling,” he wrote.

“The pollution cloud covers hundreds of kilometers. Cleaning it up will require big changes and decisive action – from governments, companies, experts and citizens. We need a collective national response, not political blame games,” Gandhi said.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha also said that as Parliament convenes for the Winter Session in a few days, MPs will be reminded of the crisis through sore eyes and sore throats.

“It is our responsibility to come together and discuss how India can end this crisis once and for all,” Gandhi said.

Air pollution in Delhi

Delhi’s IQA has been severe since November 16, making it five consecutive days till Wednesday. On November 15, the average AQI was 396 (very poor). In December 2021 (21-26) and November 2020 (5-10), Delhi recorded six consecutive severe days. The longest seven-day streak was in November 2017 and November 2016.

The “plus severe” category prompted Delhi authorities to implement Stage IV restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), which include a complete ban on construction and demolition activities, school closures and strict vehicle restrictions .