New Delhi: Delhi is the most polluted city in the world, making it almost uninhabitable from November to January and barely bearable the rest of the year, according to Congress lawmaker Shashi Tharoor, who criticized the federal government on Tuesday for the extreme air pollution in the nation’s capital.

Shashi Tharoor said it was “unconscionable” that the government has done nothing to address Delhi’s chronic air pollution problem for years.

“Delhi is officially the most polluted city in the world, with four times the hazardous levels and almost five times the badness of the second most polluted city, Dhaka,” Shashi Tharoor wrote on X, sharing a list of the “Most Polluted Cities” in their ranking. It is unacceptable that our government has allowed this horror to continue for years while taking no action.

Since 2015, I have been hosting an Air Quality Round Table for stakeholders and specialists, including Members of Parliament. However, I quit up last year since no one appeared to be interested and nothing seemed to be changing. From November to January inclusive, this city is almost uninhabitable, while the other months are hardly tolerable. “Should it even continue to serve as the capital of the country?” Tharoor said.

On Tuesday morning, however, the national capital’s air quality stayed in the “severe plus” category for the second day in a row. Smog covered the city, making it difficult to see, and the air pollution increased to an uncomfortably high level of bad AQI (Air Quality Index).

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reports that as of 8 am, the national capital’s Air Quality Index (AQI) was 488, falling into the “severe plus” category.

The air is deemed harmful to health at such high AQI values, especially for susceptible populations including children, the elderly, and those with heart or respiratory disorders.

In parts of the Yamuna River close to Kalindi Kunj and Okhla Barrage, a thick froth of poisonous foam is still floating since the pollution level is still high.

Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), citing high pollution and dangerous AQI values in Delhi and the NCR, has decided to hold sessions online till November 22 due to the deteriorating air quality in the nation’s capital.

The Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Gurugram, Haryana, declared that all physical classes up to the 12th standard in the Gurugram district will remain suspended from November 19 to November 23, or until further notice, in accordance with orders from the Director of Secondary Education Haryana and following an assessment of the Air Quality Index (AQI) situation.

In a number of cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, and portions of northern India, the quality of the air has become worse, reaching dangerous levels and posing health dangers.

The Supreme Court on Monday issued a letter warning litigants and counsel on the highest court grounds to wear masks and take health precautions due to “severe” pollution in the nation’s capital.