New Delhi: Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari highlighted the worsening air pollution crisis in Delhi-NCR, saying prolonged exposure to the capital’s toxic air affects even him personally.

"I stay in Delhi for two days and develop a throat infection. Delhi is troubled by pollution. I am the Road Transport Minister, and around 40 per cent of pollution is linked to our sector,” Gadkari said on Tuesday while speaking at the book launch of veteran journalist and former Central Information Commissioner Uday Mahurkar in Delhi.

Stressing the urgency of policy shifts, Gadkari questioned India’s continued reliance on fossil fuels, warning of their environmental and economic costs.

“What kind of nationalism is this? Fossil fuels are limited, and pollution is increasing. Can't we reduce fossil fuel usage? Why can't we promote electric vehicles and hydrogen-powered vehicles, which can lead to zero pollution?” he asked.

The minister noted that India spends around Rs 22 lakh annually on fossil fuel imports, underscoring the financial strain caused by energy dependence.

Delhi's AQI moves from 'severe' to 'very poor' category

Delhi's air quality saw some improvement on Wednesday morning, with the AQI moving to 'very poor' from 'severe' the day before, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The national capital's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 336 in the morning, as against 415 on Tuesday, the CPCB data showed.

Of Delhi's 40 air quality monitoring stations, 36 recorded AQI in the 'very poor' category. Nehru Nagar recorded the highest reading of 392, the CPCB's Sameer app showed.

An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'.

Fog and smog reduced visibility in some parts of Delhi early in the morning.

Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 10.2 degrees Celsius, 2.7 notches above normal. The maximum temperature is expected to hover around 19 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The humidity level stood at 100 per cent. The IMD has forecast moderate fog during the day.