The Congress on Monday criticised the Modi government over deteriorating air quality in Delhi, saying fine particulate matter PM2.5 was choking the national capital and urging the Centre to take stricter measures to tackle pollution.
Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) focuses heavily on PM10, while PM2.5 poses a greater threat to public health.
“PM2.5 is choking the nation’s capital and other parts of north India especially,” Ramesh said in a post on X.
He pointed out that India's PM2.5 safety standards were four times higher than the World Health Organization's recommended 24-hour average limits and eight times higher than its annual average guidelines.
Ramesh called for an urgent revision of PM2.5 standards and their strict enforcement, arguing that finer particulate matter was a major public health threat.
Taking a swipe at the government, he said the “so-called PM 3.0 government”, which was in deep trouble, needed to take the issue more seriously.
His remarks came as Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) entered the 'very poor' category for the first time this season on Monday, recording 312 at 9 am.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), an AQI of 301-400 falls in the 'very poor' category, while readings above 400 are classified as 'severe'.
Under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), Stage II measures are triggered when the AQI enters the 'very poor' category. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) decides on their implementation based on prevailing air quality conditions and meteorological forecasts.
(With inputs from PTI)