The Delhi air quality problem was supposed to be discussed during the winter parliamentary session but this was not possible due to disruption caused by a number of protests.
The Delhi air quality problem was supposed to be discussed during the winter parliamentary session but this was not possible due to disruption caused by a number of protests. On Friday 18th December, 2025 both Houses of Parliament finished earlier than originally scheduled.
During the session which commenced on 1st December 2025. The winter session of parliament has been all about passing important legislation such as those concerning the issue of Nuclear Energy, Rural Employment, etc. However another important bill is a substitute for UPA’s MGNREGA scheme.
This bill has seen protests by many members of the opposition disrupting the workings of both Houses and was the largest problem facing members.
Officials working in the Speaker’s Office, have indicated that Parliament is currently experiencing an atmosphere which does not encourage detailed discussion about Air Pollution; therefore as a result, the issue was not raised at this parliamentary session, despite the previous indications that a debate would occur.
Congress Member Rahul Gandhi called for this debate to take place. The Government agreed that time would be allocated for this to occur but many disruptions prevented any debate from occurring.
Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav was expected to address the Lok Sabha on Thursday evening, but the House was adjourned early due to protests by opposition MPs over the G RAM G Bill. The Bill was later passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, while the pollution issue remained unaddressed.
Ahead of the proposed discussion, Congress MPs had submitted an adjournment motion highlighting the public health impact of air pollution. Congress MP Vijay Vasanth urged the government to declare a national health emergency in the Delhi-NCR region amid rising smog levels.
Delhi’s air quality remained in the “hazardous” category between December 13 and 15 before showing brief improvement on December 16. Pollution levels have since worsened again, with several monitoring stations recording Air Quality Index (AQI) readings above 400. Dense fog has further added to health concerns.
After the session ended, Speaker Om Birla met MPs from both the ruling and opposition parties. Visuals showed Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacting with Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi and other leaders. Sources said the conversation briefly touched on her Wayanad constituency.
Priyanka Gandhi, who was expected to lead the discussion on Delhi’s air pollution, did not get the opportunity before Parliament adjourned.
