Former J&K DGP Shesh Paul Slams Authorities Over Delhi Pollution: 'Humanitarian Crisis'

Former Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Shesh Paul Vaid expressed anguish over the worsening air quality in the national capital, describing it as a “humanitarian crisis” and questioning the lack of accountability from authorities.

“My family and I returned to Jammu today after spending 15 days in New Delhi and we are all in bad shape. Severe throat pain, running noses, and a constant burning sensation as if we’ve inhaled a thousand cigarettes,” he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

He added, “If this is what short-term visitors experience, imagine the suffering of Delhi’s children, the elderly, and those already living with lung disease.”

The former top cop urged urgent intervention from the judiciary and the government, saying,

“If this humanitarian crisis does not jolt the Supreme Court, the Union Government, and the Delhi Government into immediate action, then what will? Where is the accountability? How long will Delhi be allowed to exist as a gas chamber?”

Delhi AQI Nears 400 Mark

The city woke up to a thick blanket of smog as air quality continued to deteriorate after Diwali, and the situation continues to get worse. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board, the AQI in Delhi stands at 360 at 7 pm on Sunday.

Delhi residents protested on the streets, demanding urgent government action to tackle the pollution crisis as the national capital woke up once again to a thick blanket of smog, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) nearing the 400 (‘severe’) mark.

People staged protest marches at India Gate, holding placards and chanting slogans to demand that the Delhi government implement stronger policies to tackle air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR).

“The AQI is touching heights. We are being evacuated and not allowed to protest peacefully here… Common people are dying. Yet the government is not designing any policies and hiding the data,” a protester told reporters.

The AQI in Bawana was recorded at 410, while it was 390 in ITO, 380 in Anand Vihar, 389 in RK Puram, 321 at IGI T3 Airport, and 370 in Narela.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta appealed to residents to carpool, rely more on public transport, and urged private offices to permit work-from-home arrangements.