Delhi Breathes Easier: 220 Clean-Air Days Recorded, Cleanest October in a Decade
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa reveals Delhi saw 220 clean-air days in 2026, while accusing Punjab's AAP government of fudging pollution data.
In a significant claim regarding the capital's environmental health, Delhi's Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa announced that the National Capital Region (NCR) has achieved a historic milestone in air quality. According to the Minister, Delhi recorded 220 clean-air days in 2026, marking the highest number of such days seen in the last ten years.
A Decade-High Improvement in Air Quality
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Minister Sirsa highlighted that the progress is not just limited to the annual count. He revealed that October 2026 stood out as the cleanest October the city has experienced in over a decade.
The Minister further noted a positive shift in the overall pollution levels, stating that the average Air Quality Index (AQI) for the year was the lowest in ten years. This represents a 10 per cent improvement compared to previous years, contributing to a lower annual average AQI.
"Over the past decade, the Delhi government under Rekha Gupta, along with the people of Delhi, has achieved a lot," Sirsa stated, attributing the success to collective efforts and government policy.
Allegations Against Punjab Government
While celebrating Delhi's gains, Minister Sirsa launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, accusing them of sabotaging air quality efforts through the facilitation of stubble burning.
Sirsa alleged that there have been over 1,000 incidents of stubble burning in Punjab, claiming that Punjab Police and government officials are actively facilitating the practice. He accused the AAP of a contradictory approach—encouraging farmers to burn crop residue while simultaneously registering cases against them.
Claims of Data Manipulation
The Environment Minister also raised serious concerns regarding the leadership of the Punjab Pollution Control Board. He alleged that the appointment of a political spokesperson from Delhi to head the board was a strategic move to manipulate pollution data and hide the ground reality.
Sirsa claimed that for the first time in 75 years since Independence, a non-Punjabi, non-IAS, and non-technical person was appointed to this role. He specifically named Reena Gupta, describing her as a relative of Arvind Kejriwal, and alleged that she was moved from Delhi to Punjab specifically to "fudge data" and conceal the truth about pollution levels.
Calls for Cooperation and Green Initiatives
Turning his attention to the infrastructure of the city, Sirsa pointed out that Delhi is aggressively moving toward a greener future. He mentioned that more than 13,000 charging stations have already been installed across the city to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs).
In a direct appeal to AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, the Minister urged them not to undermine the recovery of Delhi's air quality. He cautioned that by allowing fires in Punjab, the AAP government is risking the deterioration of the air quality that Delhi residents have fought hard to improve.