Delhi Environment Minister Apologises Over Air Pollution, Says Complete Reduction Not Possible in 9–10 Months

New Delhi | December 16, 2025 Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday apologised to the residents of the capital for the city’s persistent air pollution, stating that it is unrealistic for any elected government to completely reduce pollution levels within nine to ten months. Speaking at a press briefing, Sirsa acknowledged the public concern over deteriorating air quality but said tackling pollution is a long-term challenge that cannot be solved immediately. “I would like to apologise to the people of Delhi and state that it is not possible for any elected government to completely reduce pollution levels within 9–10 months,” Sirsa said. He added that while the government has been taking daily measures to improve air quality, the issue is deeply rooted and requires sustained efforts. Sirsa also highlighted that Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) had remained in the “severe” category for three consecutive days before improving slightly to the “very poor” category on Tuesday. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the city’s AQI at 9 am was recorded at 378, marking a slight improvement from Monday evening’s reading of 427, which was classified as severe. Over the past two days, several parts of Delhi reported AQI levels above 400. The minister detailed several steps the government has taken to tackle pollution. Entry of non-Delhi private vehicles that do not meet BS-VI emission standards has been banned, and movement of building materials within the city has been restricted, with strict action against violations. Vehicles without valid pollution control certificates will be denied fuel, and petrol pumps will be monitored using cameras. Industries violating pollution norms have been fined a total of Rs 9 crore. Other measures include distributing 10,000 heaters to reduce emissions from wood burning and instructing banquet halls to regulate DJ usage. Landfill sites have been reduced by 15 metres, and 45 acres of land have been cleaned and reclaimed. A total of 62 pollution hotspots have been identified, with 13 showing improvements compared to the previous year. The government has also deployed 3,427 electric buses to help curb vehicular emissions. Sirsa criticised the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, saying it was attempting to divert attention through protests and questioning the steps it had taken to control pollution during its tenure. He emphasised that pollution is a long-term problem, and though improvements are being seen month by month, it is not realistic to eliminate pollution entirely in just seven to eight months. A committee of scientists has been formed and is actively holding meetings to address the city’s pollution. The minister reiterated that while daily measures are being implemented, reducing pollution is a complex challenge that requires consistent, multi-pronged action over an extended period. Despite recent improvements, Delhi’s air quality remains a significant public health concern, with residents continuing to face exposure to very poor and severe pollution levels. Sirsa’s statements underline the ongoing efforts of the government while acknowledging the limitations of short-term solutions in combating air pollution in the capital. Delhi Environment Minister Apologises Over Air Pollution, Says Complete Reduction Not Possible in 9–10 Months Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Tuesday apologised to the people of the capital for the city’s worsening air quality. He said it is unrealistic for any government to completely reduce pollution levels in just nine to ten months, acknowledging the challenge of tackling long-standing environmental issues. Speaking at a press briefing, Sirsa said the government is taking daily measures to improve air quality, though he cautioned that pollution is a complex problem that cannot be solved immediately. He noted that Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) had remained in the “severe” range for three days before improving slightly to the “very poor” category, with the CPCB recording an AQI of 378 on Tuesday morning, down from 427 on Monday. To curb pollution, the government has implemented several steps. Non-Delhi private vehicles not meeting BS-VI standards are banned, and movement of building materials within the city is restricted. Vehicles without valid pollution control certificates will be denied fuel, and petrol pumps are being monitored through cameras. Industries violating pollution norms have been fined a total of Rs 9 crore. Additional measures include distributing 10,000 heaters to reduce wood-burning emissions and regulating DJ usage in banquet halls. Landfill sites have been lowered by 15 metres, and 45 acres of land have been reclaimed. The government has identified 62 pollution hotspots, with 13 showing improvements, and deployed 3,427 electric buses to reduce emissions. Sirsa also criticised the previous AAP government, saying protests over pollution were attempts to divert attention and questioning the steps it had taken during its tenure. A committee of scientists has been formed to advise on long-term solutions. While month-by-month improvements are being seen, the minister emphasised that eliminating pollution completely in a short span is not possible. Residents are encouraged to remain aware, and the government continues to implement measures to address this ongoing public health concern.