Congress leader Pawan Khera on Wednesday questioned the Centre over the reported removal of air pollution from the revised agenda of a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs meeting, alleging that the government was not giving adequate priority to public health even as Delhi continued to record poor air quality.
In a post on X, Khera said air pollution had featured in the agenda for the committee's November 17 meeting, circulated on November 5, but was dropped from a subsequent revised version. He cited a media report on the change.
"The committee first circulated the agenda for its November 17 meeting on November 5, and it included air pollution. In the revised agenda circulated later, the issue was removed," he said.
Khera also criticised the delay in revising the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), which were last updated in 2009. He said the CPCB had initiated a review in 2020 and set up an expert committee, including representatives from IIT Kanpur, to examine the standards.
Citing a report published in October 2026, Khera said the CPCB had informed an RTI applicant that a revised technical report was submitted in December 2025 and was still awaiting consideration by the relevant steering committee.
He questioned why the review had remained incomplete six years after it was initiated, and alleged that the delay reflected a lack of urgency in addressing air pollution.
"At a time when the situation demands greater urgency, the government has instead dropped the subject altogether," he said, referring to the removal of the pollution discussion from the committee's revised agenda.
Meanwhile, Delhi recorded an overall AQI of 299 at 7 am on Wednesday, placing it in the 'poor' category, according to the CPCB. Water sprinklers have been deployed at several locations as part of the city's pollution-control measures.
(With inputs from ANI)