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ISLAMABAD: The Indian environment minister&rsquo;s clarification in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) -- that widely cited global air-quality rankings are &quot;not conducted by any official [Indian] authority&quot; -- drew a sarcastic reaction from the Indian National Congress, which mocked the remarks in a post on X. India&rsquo;s major cities, including the capital Delhi, are frequently rated among the most polluted in global air quality indices.&nbsp; The Union government&rsquo;s clarification in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) on Thursday regarding global air-quality assessments sparked renewed discussion over how India evaluates its pollution levels.&nbsp; Responding to questions from Communist Party of India MP V Sivadasan, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh of the Bharatiya Janata Party stated that no official global country-wise air-pollution ranking exists, and that widely quoted international indices, including the IQAir World Air Quality Report, WHO Global Air Quality Database, Environmental Performance Index and Global Burden of Disease metrics, are &ldquo;not conducted by any official authority.&rdquo; &#39;Only as guidance&#39;Singh noted that the World Health Organization&rsquo;s air-quality guidelines serve only as guidance, intended to help countries achieve better standards over time. He added that nations formulate their own air-quality benchmarks depending on geography, environmental factors, background levels, socio-economic conditions, and national circumstances.&nbsp; India follows its National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), notified in 2009, which specify limits for 12 pollutants; the ministry said that these are tailored to the country&rsquo;s specific conditions.&nbsp; The standards set the 24-hour permissible PM2.5 limit at 60 &micro;g/m&sup3;, which is four times the WHO&rsquo;s updated 2021 guideline. Delhi&rsquo;s air qualitySeparately, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav presented data on Delhi&rsquo;s air quality in response to another question.&nbsp; According to the government, &ldquo;Good to Moderate&rdquo; air-quality days (AQI &le;200) in the capital have actually risen from 110 days in 2016 to 200 days in 2025 (to date).&nbsp; The average AQI between January and November has improved from 213 in 2018 to 187 in 2025, and no day in 2025 has entered the &ldquo;Severe Plus&rdquo; category (AQI &gt;450), the ministry said.&nbsp; The ministry also reported that farm-fire incidents in Punjab and Haryana have fallen by around 90% in the 2025 paddy-harvesting season compared to 2022. The government said that it conducts the annual Swachh Vayu Survekshan, ranking 130 cities under the National Clean Air Programme based on the implementation of air-quality improvement measures. Congress&#39;s reaction&nbsp;The opposition quickly seized upon the government&rsquo;s responses.&nbsp; The Indian National Congress posted a sharp, sarcastic comment on X, mocking the minister&rsquo;s dismissal of global rankings: &ldquo;Our air is special kind of air. While other countries have only 20% Oxygen, we have 80% Oxygen and a little bit of Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide. Same with our GDP, Exchange rate, and so on. Perks of electing an 8th fail as PM.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1999105178184872004&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=9c2e435bda59bbbac982e7528e199d336563d88f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 873px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>

India

The Indian government minister tells the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) that global air-quality rankings are unofficial and that India uses its own standards; opposition party Congress posted a sarcastic comment on social media mocking the minister’s stance.

Opposition mocks Indian minister’s remarks on global pollution rankings

Romesa Umar

ISLAMABAD: A severe winter smog wave blanketing major Pakistani cities has pushed air quality into the hazardous range, sparking a surge in demand for home air purifiers as families try to protect themselves from toxic particulate pollution. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) warned that this year&rsquo;s smog should be treated as a &ldquo;public health threat,&rdquo; urging households to adopt indoor air-filtration measures as part of a layered protection strategy. The National Institute of Health has cautioned that hazardous smog spells will continue across eastern Punjab, including Lahore, Faisalabad, and Multan. Indoor filtration gains urgencyPakistan&rsquo;s recurring winter smog is driven by extreme concentrations of fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5. Pollution particularly harmful to children, older adults, and people with respiratory conditions. Health experts note that high-grade air purifiers equipped with True HEPA H13 or H14 filters can remove 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, effectively capturing the pollutants dominating the seasonal haze. Units with activated carbon filters also help absorb gases and volatile organic compounds emitted from traffic and industry. In its 2025 advisory, the NDMA recommended using air purifiers in frequently occupied rooms, sealing windows, avoiding non-essential travel, and wearing N95 or KN95 masks outdoors. For many families, the difference indoors is immediate. Ayesha Ali, a Lahore resident and asthma patient, said she relies on filtration technology to safeguard her household. &ldquo;I use Xiaomi, it&rsquo;s better than Philips in many ways because of the micro pollutants it absorbs,&rdquo; she told Pakistan TV Digital. &ldquo;The HEPA filter and price make it the best for a bedroom.&rdquo; She added that filter duration depends on use: &ldquo;Generally it is six months, but mine has stayed longer than that. I check it through my in-app status.&rdquo; The NDMA also suggested a low-cost alternative: natural air-purifying indoor plants, such as snake plants or spider plants, to improve indoor air quality. While not a replacement for HEPA filtration, they provide additional relief for families unable to afford high-end purifiers. Understanding HEPA complianceHEPA compliance requires a filter to meet a legally defined standard for high-efficiency particulate air filtration. A true HEPA filter must remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles measuring 0.3 microns, the Most Penetrating Particle Size (MPPS), considered the hardest for filters to trap. HEPA filters often perform even better at capturing particles both larger and smaller than this threshold due to diffusion and interception mechanisms. Cost pressures widen the market divideDespite growing demand, affordability remains a significant barrier. Effective HEPA H13 models often start at Rs45,000 ($159), putting them out of reach for many low-income families. Since a single purifier typically covers only one room, larger households face steep cumulative costs. Local manufacturers, including Royal Fans, GFC, Canon, and ZebSol, offer HEPA-compliant devices priced between Rs35,000 ($124) and Rs70,000 ($248). International brands such as Philips, Xiaomi, and Dyson range from Rs37,000 ($131) for basic units to Rs275,000 ($973) for high-end models. Maintenance adds another layer of cost. Most HEPA filters need replacement every six to twelve months, at Rs15,000&ndash;Rs30,000 ($53&ndash;$106). Heavier pollution in cities like Lahore and Islamabad accelerates filter clogging, pushing annual upkeep to Rs12,000&ndash;Rs30,000 ($42&ndash;$106). Umman Waseem, a Lahore resident, said performance concerns often steer buyers toward international brands. &ldquo;We had to save up and order a Dyson air purifier from my wife&rsquo;s friend who was travelling back from the UK because I wasn&rsquo;t satisfied with the local alternatives available,&rdquo; he said. Public awareness growsThe worsening smog has increased public attention on indoor air quality, particularly among parents and those with chronic respiratory illnesses. Government advisories emphasize indoor precautions, outdoor protective measures, and long-term initiatives such as emissions control, stronger air-quality monitoring, and seasonal preparedness. For many urban households, air purifiers have shifted from discretionary luxuries to essential equipment. A cost increasingly viewed as unavoidable during Pakistan&rsquo;s peak smog season.<figure class="fr-media"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic"> </figcaption></figure>

File Photo: Smog seen in Lahore (Associated Press of Pakistan)

Health

A severe winter smog wave blanketing major Pakistani cities has pushed air quality into the hazardous range, sparking a surge in demand for home air purifiers as families try to protect themselves from toxic particulate pollution.

Articles tagged with "smog"

Opposition mocks Indian minister’s remarks on global pollution rankings

Smog crisis drives indoor air purifier demand across Pakistan