India’s capital recorded its worst pollution in nearly a decade this winter, sparking protests

A commuter with his face covered in cloth rides along a bridge across the River Yamuna in New Delhi on October 21, 2025, as smog engulfed the city skyline a day after Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Photo / Arun Sankar, AFP

India’s capital recorded its worst pollution in nearly a decade this winter, sparking rare public protests and criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party over its handling of the air quality emergency.

In November and December, when pollution in New Delhi typically peaks, the air quality index was above 300 on 88% of days, according to Bloomberg calculations based on official data.

That’s the highest percentage since at least 2017.

A reading of 50 is considered acceptable, while levels of 300 or above are deemed hazardous, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

New Delhi has battled air pollution for years, with a combination of crop-burning in neighbouring states, traffic congestion and cold weather making the winter smog particularly bad.

It regularly ranks among cities with the worst air in the world, creating a serious health hazard for its 30 million residents, especially children.

The worsening air quality this season has been an early test for Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party in its first year governing the capital after nearly two decades.

Despite campaign pledges to tackle pollution, its approach so far has drawn criticism from the opposition and sections of the public.

Lawmakers failed to prioritise a discussion on pollution during the recent parliament session which ended about two weeks ago.

The Government also imposed stricter anti-pollution restrictions later than in previous years, prompting questions over the delay.

“Politicians are not talking about air pollution,” said New Delhi-based environmental lawyer Ritwick Dutta. “The constant silence of the Government itself in addressing the issue added to the anger.”

Opposition groups like the Aam Aadmi Party, which governed the capital from 2015 to 2025, have also accused the BJP of under-reporting pollution numbers, an allegation the ruling party denies.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has blamed the previous administration for failing to do enough to tackle poor air quality. She’s said her government needs at least 27 months to deliver results.

As Modi continues to promote Asia’s third-largest economy as one of the world’s rising powers, the toxic air has dented that image, with tourists and top talent increasingly avoiding the capital.

Akums Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd said this week that its finance chief had resigned from his position because of health concerns linked to the city’s pollution.

The pollution crisis sparked visible public anger last year, with residents staging rare protests against pollution in the capital.

During a recent visit by Argentine football star Lionel Messi to New Delhi, sections of the crowd chanted “AQI, AQI” when Delhi’s chief minister took to the stage.

New Delhi’s winter smog is driven by crop burning, firecrackers, vehicular traffic, industry and year-round construction dust.

This season, the problem was compounded after the Supreme Court eased restrictions on firecrackers ahead of Diwali in October - a move backed by the BJP-led government - even as air quality was already deteriorating.

The average AQI recorded in December was 350.4, the highest level since 2018, according to Bloomberg calculations using official data.

After protests in November, the Government imposed stricter anti-pollution controls, including a temporary halt to non-essential construction and advising primary schools to conduct classes online. The measures, however, have failed to deliver any improvement.

The BJP has also turned to controversial steps such as artificial rain, which has made little difference.

“Right now, we are going one step ahead and two steps backward,” said Kalyani Tembhe, deputy programme manager at the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based research organisation.

“The sheer amount of pollution that is getting added in Delhi is so high that we just tend to play catch up with pollution rather than having actually mitigated it.”

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