Rekha Gupta Delhi Air Pollution Appeal took centre stage at the Northern Zonal Council meeting held in Faridabad on Monday, where Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta urged neighbouring states to urgently collaborate on a unified pollution-control strategy. Gupta highlighted that Delhi’s toxic air crisis cannot be solved in isolation and requires strong regional coordination, strict enforcement, and long-term policy commitment.
The meeting, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, brought together senior officials and leadership from northern states. During her address, Gupta strongly advocated for tougher restrictions on crop-residue burning, stringent monitoring of industrial emissions, better road-dust management, and a shift toward zero-emission inter-state public transport. She also stressed that all participating states must share accountability to ensure measurable improvement.
Her renewed appeal comes at a time when Delhi’s air quality continues to deteriorate sharply. According to CPCB readings recorded at 4 pm, the city’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 351, falling in the ‘very poor’ category and raising significant public health concerns, especially for children, the elderly, and those with respiratory illnesses.
Gupta’s remarks follow strong criticism from the Supreme Court toward Punjab and Haryana over what the bench called “inadequate and cosmetic efforts” to control farm fires. The apex court demanded concrete action plans and transparent data reporting from both states as pollution levels worsen across the NCR.
Delhi saw 27 polluted days in October, with several spells in the ‘severe’ category. Environmental experts say stubble-burning smoke alone contributes over 22% of PM2.5 levels on peak days. They continue to recommend multi-level solutions including wider adoption of technologies like the happy seeder to prevent burning.
Public pressure is also rising, with residents staging protests demanding immediate, results-driven action rather than repeated policy assurances.
