Delhi Resident Calls for Long-Term Action as Capital Chokes Under Persistent Pollution

By A Staff Reporter

New Delhi: As air quality in the national capital continues to fluctuate between “poor” and “severe,” a local resident on Thursday voiced deep frustration over what he described as a decade-long environmental crisis that has seen little lasting improvement. Speaking to reporters, he said Delhi’s pollution problem has persisted for “10 or 15 years” and can only be resolved through decisive and sustained government action.

He urged authorities to launch a major reforestation effort, proposing the plantation of “at least 2 crore trees in Delhi every year” as part of a long-term environmental recovery plan. While acknowledging that stubble burning has historically contributed to seasonal spikes in pollution, he emphasised that the national capital now faces an air-quality challenge throughout the year. “Stubble burning has been going on for thousands of years… But the situation is year-round in Delhi. Find a permanent solution,” he said.

The resident stressed that both citizens and the government must share responsibility for the crisis, rejecting the tendency to shift blame. “We caused this pollution; we are responsible for it. There is no use in running away from your responsibility,” he remarked. “Work seriously, protect the environment.”