Rahul Gandhi raises red flag as Delhi-NCR suffocates beneath toxic haze

Delhi-NCR awoke once more beneath a pall of poisonous haze, its skyline blurred by a grey shroud that refuses to lift. As the Air Quality Index clawed its way back to 385 on Friday — well within the “very poor” range — leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi issued a searing rebuke, warning that India’s children are quite literally growing up gasping.

Taking to X, Rahul Gandhi wrote, “Every mother I meet tells me the same thing: Her child is growing up breathing toxic air. They are exhausted, scared and angry.” He questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence, asking why the government shows “no urgency, no plan, no accountability” as a public health emergency unfolds in plain sight.

Calling for an immediate and detailed Parliament debate on air pollution, he urged the creation of a strict, enforceable national action plan — arguing that India’s children deserve clean air, not “excuses and distractions”.

In an accompanying video, Rahul Gandhi sits with women from Delhi-NCR who speak with quiet anguish about the toll polluted air is taking on their children — persistent coughs, worsening health, sleepless nights, and rising fear. They warn that ignoring the crisis now will inflict lasting health and economic damage on the nation. Several ask why the government has failed to issue timely health advisories or preventive measures, even as the smog thickens.

Rahul Gandhi, in the clip, suggests that pollution persists because “a lot of people benefit from the existing system,” fuelling resistance to meaningful reform.

Meanwhile, the capital’s air continues its downward spiral. The brief respite after the lifting of GRAP Stage-III curbs evaporated almost instantly. Thursday’s AQI surged from 327 to 377 within hours, driven by stagnant winds that trapped pollutants over the region like a suffocating lid. By evening, the CPCB recorded a steady climb — from 351 at 8 am to 381 by 7 pm — an unbroken ascent into hazardous territory.

Yet stricter curbs remain off the table for now. The CAQM has stated that Stage-III restrictions will be reimposed only if the AQI breaches 400, the threshold for “severe.”

For now, Delhi can only watch as its horizon fades into smoke, its winter breeze grows heavier with toxins, and its children breathe the cost of inaction.

With IANS inputs