'If Kejriwal was CM...': Amid post-Diwali AQI crisis, Reddit reacts to Delhi's air quality, 'People need to wake up'

On October 21, Delhi recorded its worst Diwali air quality in four years. Pollution levels rose sharply at night. PM2.5 concentration peaked at 675, the highest since 2021. Meanwhile, a Reddit user shared an AI image of the Himalayas visible from Delhi. “Delhi if Kejriwal was CM now,” the user wrote. It is unclear whether this is a sarcastic notion or not. “I miss him so much,” the user wrote. Some social media users expressed their disparity between AAP’s preventive measures to control Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) and the BJP’s. The Reddit discussion included perspectives from all angles. “I hope this is sarcastic because honestly, that wasn’t really the case when he was in power either. Both did a crappy job of controlling pollution. So I’m not buying it,” one user posted. At the same time, a majority of users spoke about Delhi’s AQI concerns. “Non-smokers in Delhi basically do passive chain smoking 24/7,” one of them wrote. “None of the politicians give a sh*t. They just blame it on each other. People need to wake up and post about their inadequacies to hold them accountable,” said another user. “Aadha Dilli BJP-AAP krte krte lung cancer se marega (Half of Delhi will die of lung cancer while arguing over BJP and AAP),” came another. Another user wrote, “The polluting environment and the crumbling infra don’t care about your religion or caste or who you voted for; it affects everyone equally.” “We need an educated, enlightened authoritarian government like Singapore to rein in the uneducated and malicious. Nothing less will do,” said another user. Delhi AQI on Diwali 2025 Delhi recorded a 24-hour average AQI of 345 on Diwali 2025 (Monday, October 20) at 4 pm, PTI reported. The air pollution was in the “very poor” category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Throughout the night, the AQI remained above 340 and rose to 359 by midday on Tuesday 21 October. PM2.5 levels also hit the worst figures in four years, peaking at 675 micrograms per cubic metre, well above safe limits. The figure compares to 330 in 2024, 218 in 2023, 312 in 2022 and 382 in 2021. Some climate experts have claimed that peak hour data has been lost. However, Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa clarified that all data was intact. Monitoring systems also work, he said.