New Delhi

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday, while flagging the air pollution issue, accused the Centre of downplaying its health impacts, arguing that it is not just ignorance on the part of the government but an attempt to mask administrative failure, negligence, and incompetence.

In a post on 'X', Ramesh issued a statement calling air pollution a nationwide public health emergency and saying the Modi government's response has been grossly inadequate and ineffective.

The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) has become the Notional Clean Air Programme. Here is our statement on this matter of grave concern pic.twitter.com/GUXwDRcfKC

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 11, 2026

"Twice so far in Parliament - first on 29th July 2024 and then on 9th December 2025 - the Modi Government has tried to downplay the health impact of air pollution. The Modi Government is not blind to the truth, it is only attempting to cover up the scale of its incompetence and negligence," said the statement.

Citing a report from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air, Ramesh claimed that the analysis confirms air pollution as a structural, nationwide crisis.

"A new analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has now confirmed what was always India's worst-kept secret - that the air quality is a nation-wide, structural crisis for which the Government response is exceedingly ineffective and inadequate. Using satellite data, the study found that nearly 44 per cent of Indian cities -- that is 1,787 out of 4,041 statutory towns assessed -- have chronic air pollution, with annual PM2.5 levels consistently exceeding the national standard over five years (2019-2024, excluding 2020)," the statement said.

Congress General Secretary (communications) said the government must overhaul the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

"The Government must drastically increase the funds made available under the NCAP. The current budget, inclusive of NCAP funding and the 15th Finance Commission's grants, is about Rs. 10,500 crores, spread across 131 cities! Our cities need at least 10-20 times more funding - NCAP must be made a Rs. 25,000 crore program and spread across the 1,000 most polluted towns in the country. NCAP must adopt the measurement of PM 2.5 levels as the yardstick for performance. NCAP must reorient its focus to key sources of emissions - burning of solid fuels, vehicular emissions, and industrial emissions," read the statement.

Meanwhile, the national capital woke up to a windy and chilly Sunday morning, with the temperature recorded at 6.6 degrees Celsius and a thin layer of smog affecting visibility across several areas.

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Air quality showed some improvement, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) falling to the 'poor' category from the 'very poor' category. The city's average AQI stood at 298, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).