AAP-BJP spar over worsening air quality after dust storm batters Delhi

A sudden dust storm from Rajasthan engulfed Delhi, pushing air quality into the 'poor' zone and igniting a sharp political blame game between AAP and BJP

Strong winds sweeping in from western Rajasthan blanketed parts of Delhi in dust on Thursday morning, causing a sudden spike in air pollution and reducing visibility. The sharp dip in air quality quickly became a political flashpoint, with both the BJP and AAP trading accusations.

 

According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), PM10 levels surged by nearly 145 per cent to 337.6 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) by 3 pm. PM2.5 levels rose even more steeply, by over 200 per cent, reaching 196.1 µg/m³. The previous day at the same time, PM10 stood at 133.3 µg/m³ and PM2.5 at 41.9 µg/m³.

 

 

By 4 pm, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) dipped into the ‘poor’ category, registering a reading of 292. This marked the first instance in nearly two weeks that the capital's air had dropped below the ‘moderate’ range, where it had remained since April 29.

 

Weather office blames strong wind patterns

 

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the dust storm to a strong north-south pressure gradient over northwest India. This caused dry surface winds of 30-40 km/h to sweep across Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and northern Rajasthan from Wednesday night into Thursday morning.

 

During this period, visibility at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport dropped to 1,200 metres at intervals. Notably, no prior forecast had warned of such an intense or prolonged dust storm across the Delhi-NCR region.

 

Political blame game erupts

 

As the dust swirled, so did political accusations. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed pollution levels had “never been this bad” under its administration, while the BJP accused AAP of using a natural event to deflect attention from its failures.

 

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal posted on X that such levels of pollution in May were unprecedented during his time in office. Senior AAP leader Atishi cited CPCB data, stating that AQI on 15 May between 2022 and 2024 had never exceeded 243. “Today, the AQI is 500,” she posted.

 

She also questioned whether Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa would take responsibility for the worsening air quality.

 

Sirsa responded sharply, saying it was “unfortunate” that a former chief minister would politicise a weather-related event. He accused AAP of mismanagement during its decade-long tenure.

 

“Today’s spike in AQI was due to a weather event, not misgovernance. But let’s talk about real misgovernance, Atishi ji. For ten years, AAP allowed Delhi to drown in untreated legacy waste and dust-laden roads, with zero accountability on pollution,” he posted on X.

 

Experts highlight natural patterns and resilience measures

 

Abhishek Kar, senior programme lead at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), told PTI that such dust storms are common in northern India before the monsoon.

 

“This is a natural source of air pollution. While we can’t avoid elevated levels, we can reduce exposure,” he said. He noted that PM2.5 briefly exceeded 300 µg/m³ early Thursday, but high wind speeds over 3 metres per second helped bring the levels down quickly.

 

Medical experts voiced concerns about the dangers of inhaling fine dust particles, particularly PM2.5 and PM10, which are thinner than a human hair and can penetrate deep into the lungs, enter the bloodstream, and cause long-term respiratory and cardiac problems.

 

Weather outlook

 

Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 40.6 degrees Celsius, 1.1 degrees Celsius above normal, and a minimum of 25.4 degrees Celsius, close to average for this time of year. Humidity levels ranged between 21 per cent and 42 per cent during the day.

 

The IMD has forecast a thunderstorm with rain for Friday. Daytime temperatures are expected to hover around 41 degrees Celsius, with nighttime lows near 26 degrees Celsius.