Delhi post-Diwali: ‘Very Poor’ AQI and thick smog; residents complain of breathing issues, rival politicians blame each other

As the national capital Delhi woke up to thick smog and ‘very poor’ air quality index (AQI) levels, residents complained of breathing difficulties and politicians hit out at each other over the recurring crisis.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Delhi, questioning where is the artificial rain which the Rekha Gupta government had promised to tackle post-Diwali air pollution.

Advertisement

“The (BJP) government lies. The government said that after Diwali, we would fix all the pollution by conducting artificial rain. Did artificial rain happen? No, my question is that if you could have conducted artificial rain, then why didn’t you do it? Do you (the government) want people to fall ill… The government has a collusion with private hospitals…,” the Delhi AAP president alleged.

#WATCH | Visuals from the India Gate as GRAP-2 invoked in Delhi.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) around the India Gate was recorded at 342, in the ‘Very Poor’ category, in Delhi this morning as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). pic.x.com/ITc38aoGgQ

— ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2025

Reacting to the AAP leader’s allegation, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari accused the AAP of being responsible for high pollution levels in Delhi, adding the new Delhi government has been stating that it will take at least two years to tackle the problem.

“Their 11-year tenure has just ended. We have been repeatedly saying that it will take us 2-2.5 years to bring Delhi to a health-friendly and breathable condition. Despite that, the same people who polluted Delhi make such statements, and it makes me laugh,” Tiwari said.

The BJP leader said his party’s government is working hard to keep AQI levels under control.

“Diwali was celebrated with green firecrackers, there is happiness among the people of Delhi. And even after that happiness, the AQI, which used to reach the dangerous category in September, is still below that in October… We will keep it under strict control. The government is also prepared with the necessary arrangements as per technology. It is our firm belief that we will keep Delhi in a favourable condition,” he added.

Another BJP leader Praveen Khandelwal said the current AQI levels are much better in comparison to what those were in previous years.

“We have seen that when AAP’s government was in Delhi, the city’s AQI used to cross 600. Today, Delhi’s AQI is around 350. After 10 years of AAP’s mismanagement, today Delhi’s Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has taken such steps that even after firecrackers were burst in Delhi, the AQI level is lower compared to previous years… Next year, during these very days, Delhi will have a clean environment. This is our guarantee,” the MP stated.

Meanwhile, some Delhiites asked fellow citizens to reflect on the reasons for pollution in Delhi, saying blaming just politicians won’t help.

#WATCH | Delhi: A local says, “It is the responsibility of everyone. If every individual takes responsibility, then the AQI level can be controlled. Nothing will happen just by the thinking of the government and agencies… There were clear orders to use green crackers, and if we… https://t.co/j8G4cCjAy7 pic.x.com/YES0sg7Y2F

— ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2025

“Pollution hasn’t just been increasing today; it’s been increasing for years. Everyone blames politicians, but the people themselves are like this… People aren’t improving themselves. You’ll get firecrackers, but it’s up to you whether to burst them or not. Then they’ll complain that the government isn’t doing anything,” a local was quoted as saying by ANI.

“It is the responsibility of everyone. If every individual takes responsibility, then the AQI level can be controlled. Nothing will happen just by the thinking of the government and agencies… There were clear orders to use green crackers, and if we can adhere to these rules, then we would be doing a good service to the society,” another local added.

Meanwhile, the AQI levels around Anand Vihar, ITO, Lodhi Road and IGI Airport were at 358, 347, 329, 313, respectively in the ‘Very Poor’ category this morning.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the air quality index around Chandni Chowk, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Rohini and Okhla Phase 2 was recorded at 326, 318, 372 and 353, respectively in the ‘Very Poor’ category.