Ajay Maken, the Treasurer of the All India Congress Committee, and former Delhi Assembly Speaker, expressed worry about the escalating air pollution crisis in the National Capital. He pointed out that the PM2.5 level in Delhi on Friday was nearly four times higher than the safe limit recommended by the WHO. Maken highlighted a Lancet study indicating that high PM2.5 levels could reduce life expectancy in north India by over 5 years.
Maken, in a social media post, mentioned that all 35 weather monitoring stations in Delhi recorded PM2.5 levels above the WHO 24-hour safe limit on April 10. He proposed measures like promoting public transport and increasing parking fees and road taxes on private vehicles to discourage the use of personal modes of transport. The Congress leader also suggested transitioning all new public transport vehicles to electric within two years, including DTC buses, cluster buses, autos, and taxis.
In response to the air pollution issue, Maken recommended phasing out all CNG buses older than 10 years from the roads without any extensions or exceptions. His comments on Delhi’s deteriorating air quality coincided with the Delhi government’s release of EV policy 2.0 to gather public input. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta allocated a significant portion of the ‘Green Budget’ 2026–27, amounting to Rs 22,236 crore, for initiatives aimed at enhancing air quality and promoting green projects for a cleaner environment.
