Say no to ‘toxic governance’: Citizens demand accountability, not arrests, amid Delhi’s pollution crisis

By A Representative 

The National Alliance for Climate and Ecological Justice (NACEJ), a national platform of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), has sharply criticised the Delhi Government for what it termed as an “institutional and moral collapse” in responding to the capital’s escalating air pollution emergency. The alliance condemned the detention of peaceful protesters who had gathered in Delhi earlier this week to demand urgent measures against worsening air quality and called the state’s actions “an affront to democratic and environmental justice.”

According to NACEJ, Delhi once again finds itself shrouded in hazardous smog, with air pollution levels rising to their highest in four years following Diwali celebrations on October 21. The organisation said that instead of addressing systemic failures, the authorities resorted to detentions of citizens, youth, and environmental activists on November 9, calling the move “unnecessary, unjust and repressive.” The group demanded that all cases against protestors be withdrawn and that the Chief Minister issue a public apology for what it described as the misuse of police force against peaceful citizens exercising their constitutional rights.

The alliance noted that the government’s short-sighted response to the crisis has deepened the public health emergency that now threatens millions across Delhi and the National Capital Region. “This unchecked governance failure has directly led to record-breaking pollution, with hazardous air choking the region and pushing public health to the brink,” the statement said. NACEJ urged both the Delhi and Union governments to recognise the crisis as a public health emergency rather than a political or law-and-order issue.

Referring to official air quality data, NACEJ said Delhi’s PM2.5 levels peaked at 675 µg/m³, marking the worst air quality since 2021. The organisation criticised the government for allowing the sale and use of so-called “green crackers,” despite repeated scientific warnings and court restrictions. It also alleged that some authorities had attempted to artificially reduce recorded pollution levels by sprinkling water near monitoring stations.

While stubble burning is often cited as a major cause, NACEJ emphasised that data from recent studies show it plays a limited seasonal role. The group stressed that vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, and construction dust remain the primary year-round contributors. “Victimising farmers while ignoring the automobile sector and other major polluters is both unjust and scientifically misleading,” it said.

The alliance called for a set of immediate and structural actions, including a transparent and time-bound plan to reduce air toxicity, enforce accountability across all statutory authorities, and ensure continuous public engagement in policymaking. NACEJ also urged the government to upgrade and integrate Delhi’s public transport systems—metro, bus, and surface rail—into a single network, replacing politically driven measures such as the odd-even vehicle scheme with sustainable alternatives that genuinely discourage private car use.

Further, the alliance demanded the permanent removal of non-BS6 diesel vehicles from Delhi NCR roads and the elimination of diesel subsidies for non-commercial vehicles. It called for a complete ban on waste-to-energy plants and the relocation of polluting industrial and construction activities away from residential and ecologically sensitive zones. NACEJ also pressed for a year-round ban on firecrackers, coupled with a transition plan for workers in the firework industry.

Highlighting a persistent lack of transparency, NACEJ said governments must ensure the release of credible real-time air-quality data and health advisories accessible to the public in multiple formats. It urged authorities to replace intimidation and arrests with open dialogue with citizens and civil society. “People at large must reject any political or religious narrative that undermines or delays urgent public health action,” the statement said.

NACEJ reiterated that India’s air pollution crisis is a manifestation of deeper governance and policy failures that prioritize populism over science and public health. “Innovations and civil-society efforts cannot succeed while major polluters remain unchecked and unaccountable, especially under the guise of ‘green’ solutions,” the statement added.

The alliance called for a long-term, health-centred framework for air-quality management in Delhi NCR and all Indian cities. This, it said, must include enforceable bans on new waste-to-energy plants, strict controls on construction and vehicular emissions, and a reorientation of urban and industrial policy toward protecting public health.

“India’s future depends on putting public health, social and ecological justice, and the constitutional rights of citizens at the centre of all environmental and urban policymaking,” NACEJ concluded.

The statement was endorsed by over twenty activists, scientists, researchers, and environmental organisations from across the country, including Medha Patkar of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, Disha A. Ravi of Fridays For Future India, Soumya Dutta of the Movement for Advancing Understanding of Sustainability and Mutuality (MAUSAM), and several other members of NACEJ and NAPM.