Delhi marks its cleanest October in a decade with 220 clean-air days in 2026. Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa lauded the improvement while accusing the Punjab AAP government of exacerbating pollution through stubble burning and data manipulation.
Delhi Records Milestone in Air Quality
Delhi witnessed its cleanest October in over a decade, with the National Capital Region recording 220 clean-air days in 2026, the highest in the past decade, Delhi's Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Tuesday. He also accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of facilitating stubble burning and manipulating pollution data.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Minister Sirsa said that the NCR region also witnessed the lowest average AQI recorded in the past decade, highlighting a 10 per cent imporvement compared to previous years. "I also want to tell the people of Delhi that over the past decade, the Delhi government under Rekha Gupta, along with the people of Delhi, has achieved a lot. Delhi recorded 220 clean-air days this year, the highest in the past decade. October 2026 was also the cleanest October in the last decade. I also want to highlight that the average AQI recorded this year was the lowest in the past decade, with a 10% improvement compared with previous years. The annual average AQI was also lower this year," Sirsa said.
Allegations Against Punjab Government
Targeting the AAP government in Punjab over stubble burning, the minister alleged that Punjab Police and government officials of facilitating the practice. "In Punjab, there have been more 1000 incidents of stubble burning. Punjab Police and Punjab government officers are facilitating the burning of stubble. The Aam Aadmi Party is, on one hand, getting farmers to burn stubble, and on the other hand, having cases registered against them. Delhi had clean air days in the last 8 months," he said.
Controversy Over Pollution Board Appointment
Sirsa also accused the AAP of bringing a political spokesperson from Delhi to head the Punjab Pollution Control Board, alleging that the appointment was intended to manipulate pollution data and conceal the actual situation. "I want to expose the real face of the Aam Aadmi Party, whose entire operation is based on lies and fraud... In the 75 years since Independence, no non-Punjabi, non-IAS and non-technical person has been appointed to this position. They brought their political spokesperson from Delhi. Reena Gupta, who left Delhi in a ruined state, is now in Punjab. She was moved from Delhi to Punjab and appointed as the Chairperson of the Pollution Control Board there. This was done so that she could conceal the truth by fudging data. She is known to be a relative of Arvind Kejriwal," Sirsa said.
Call to Protect Delhi's Progress
Sirsa also appealed to AAP leaders not to undermine Delhi's efforts to improve air quality. "I request Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia not to ruin Delhi. Delhi, which you spent 10 years ruining, is now beginning to recover—please do not ruin it again. More than 13,000 charging stations have been installed in Delhi. People in Delhi are purchasing EV (electric) vehicles. We, the people of Delhi, are fighting against pollution every single day. The people of Delhi are very good; please do not cause them any trouble. By setting fires in Punjab, you are once again causing the situation in Delhi to deteriorate," Sirsa said. (ANI)
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