'Only...slight AQI change': Delhi minister defends Diwali after pollution spike
What's the story
Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has said that the spike in the city's pollution levels cannot be pinned on Diwali. Comparing the spike in Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) during Diwali over the previous four years, he said in 2024, when the firecrackers were banned, the AQI was 328 before Diwali and 360 after Diwali. In the current year, after the Supreme Court allowed the use of 'green' firecrackers, the AQI was 345, and after Diwali, it was 356.
Points
'Will you hold Diwali responsible for this'
He said there was a difference of just 11 points and questioned if Diwali can be held responsible. "Will you hold Diwali responsible for this? Will you hold the faith of all the Sanatanas and Hindus in Delhi accountable? What is the fault in this?" he asked. He also accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of forcing farmers in Punjab to burn stubble. He alleged that this was done to worsen Delhi's pollution and defame Diwali.
Twitter Post
Comparison of last 4 years
#WATCH | Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa says, "In 2020, the firecrackers in Diwali were going on. At that time, PM 2.5 was 414 before Diwali and 435 after Diwali. There was an increase of 21 points in the firecrackers. In 2021, there was an increase of 80 points. In 2024,… pic.twitter.com/CHm0XkDlAW
— ANI (@ANI) October 21, 2025
Farmers
Sirsa accuses Kejriwal of hurting Hindu sentiments
Sirsa claimed that farmers were covering their faces while being pressured to burn crop residue, saying, "Farmers don't want to burn stubble, but they were told to do so." Sirsa also accused former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal of hurting Hindu sentiments by banning firecrackers during Diwali. He asked if Kejriwal spoke up when animals were sacrificed on Bakrid, comparing him to Aurangzeb. The minister further alleged that the AAP government had "failed miserably" to control pollution in its 10-year rule.
Cleanliness initiatives
Sirsa takes credit for Delhi's cleanliness drive
In his tirade against the AAP, Sirsa took credit for ongoing cleanliness and infrastructure efforts in Delhi. He said "27 lakh metric tons of garbage" had been removed and "thousands of electric buses" inducted under the current administration. He also mentioned that several sewage treatment plants (STPs) were restarted during this time.
AQI
AQI at hazardous levels
According to the Swiss group IQAir, air quality in New Delhi deteriorated to hazardous levels on Tuesday. New Delhi's IQAir reading was 442 on Tuesday morning, ranking it as the world's most polluted major city. Its PM 2.5 concentration exceeded 59 times the World Health Organization's recommended annual guideline. The city's air quality was likewise rated "very poor" by India's Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), with an AQI of 350.