New Delhi: Amid worsening air quality in the national capital, Aam Aadmi Party leader and Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday criticised the BJP-led central government for its “inaction” and demanded urgent measures to tackle pollution across North India. Rai highlighted Delhi’s strict implementation of GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) Stage 4 guidelines while urging the Centre to coordinate efforts with states to address the crisis.  

“The Delhi government is doing its part. We have reduced stubble-burning incidents in Punjab significantly. However, the central government needs to step up and take emergency measures to save North India,” Rai said during a press conference. 

He added that stubble-burning cases in Uttar Pradesh had increased from 1,500 to 2,500 this year, worsening the pollution situation.  

Rai accused the Union Environment Minister of failing to take proactive steps and questioned the Centre’s repeated delays in forming a collaborative action plan.

He also pointed to the presence of BS-IV vehicles in Delhi and surrounding areas as an unresolved issue.  

Earlier, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla criticised the AAP government, accusing it of politicising the pollution issue while failing to act on air and water contamination in Delhi. “The Kejriwal government has done nothing to address Delhi’s pollution. They blamed stubble burning in Punjab before coming to power there but are now silent,” he alleged.  

The situation in Delhi worsened on Monday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing the ‘severe plus’ threshold. On Sunday, the AQI hit 457, prompting the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to impose GRAP Stage 4 measures across Delhi-NCR, including a ban on non-essential construction and industrial activities.  Delhi has faced persistent air quality challenges during winter due to a combination of stubble burning in nearby states, vehicular emissions, and industrial pollution. 

The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was introduced as a multi-stage regulatory mechanism to combat air pollution. Despite these efforts, the region continues to grapple with severe air quality levels each year, especially during the crop-burning season.