Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday raised a provocative question: Is Delhi still fit to be India's national capital? His remarks came as the city grappled with hazardous air pollution levels, which he described as "unconscionable."
In a post on X, Tharoor pointed out that Delhi's air quality is nearly five times worse than Dhaka, the world's second-most polluted city. "Our government has been witnessing this nightmare for years and does nothing about it," he wrote, calling out the central government for its inaction on the prolonged crisis.
Tharoor further revealed his disillusionment over past efforts, including an Air Quality Round Table he spearheaded since 2015, which he ultimately abandoned last year due to lack of progress. He painted a grim picture of life in the capital, calling it "uninhabitable" for three months from November to January and "barely liveable" for the rest of the year.
"Should it even remain the nation's capital?" he asked, sparking a debate on whether India's administrative hub could continue to function under such dire environmental conditions.
Delhi is officially the most polluted city in the world, 4x Hazardous levels and nearly five times as bad as the second most polluted city, Dhaka. It is unconscionable that our government has been witnessing this nightmare for years and does nothing about it. I have run an Air… pic.twitter.com/sLZhfeo722
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 18, 2024
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Satirical swipes at Delhi’s air woes
Tharoor’s critique comes as part of a broader campaign to highlight Delhi’s pollution crisis. Earlier this month, as the air quality index (AQI) hit a staggering 462, he shared satirical signboards renaming iconic locations such as ‘Pollutyens Delhi,’ ‘Haze Khas,’ ‘Dhua Kuan,’ and ‘Chandni Choke.’
In a sharp quip aimed at the government, he remarked, "No wonder the government renamed the main road the ‘Martavya Path!’”
Life-threatening air quality in Delhi-NCR: What can citizens, govt do now?
Supreme Court steps in
Meanwhile, Delhi’s deteriorating air quality has prompted the Supreme Court to intervene. On Monday, the court slammed the Delhi government and the Centre’s Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for their sluggish enforcement of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
With the air quality reaching the 'severe plus' category and the AQI touching 493—the worst this season—Stage 4 restrictions under GRAP will remain in effect until further notice. These measures include halting non-essential construction, curbing vehicle usage, and shutting down polluting industries.
In response to the crisis, authorities in Delhi-NCR have announced that all schools will transition to online classes from Tuesday, adding another layer of disruption to daily life in the capital.