Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has once again sounded the alarm over Delhi’s deteriorating air quality, warning that even a short stay in the national capital could lead to serious health risks. “If you stay in Delhi for three days, you will get some infection,” he remarked on Monday, citing medical data that links the city’s pollution levels to a reduction of nearly 10 years in average life expectancy.
Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Gadkari described both Delhi and Mumbai as being in the "red zone" for air pollution, and emphasized the urgent need to prioritise ecological concerns alongside economic growth. “We have not taken the environmental issue seriously. Ecology and ethics must be treated with the same priority as economy and infrastructure,” he stated, underlining a shift in development philosophy that he says is long overdue.
As Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Gadkari positioned infrastructure development as a key instrument in the fight against pollution, arguing that better roads and alternative fuels could dramatically reduce emissions. He reiterated his longstanding campaign against India’s heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels, which currently stands at ₹22 lakh crore annually. “Petrol and diesel are major contributors to pollution. Traffic congestion also worsens the problem. That’s why we must change the fuel paradigm,” he said.
He pushed for a larger national shift toward alternative fuels like ethanol, methanol, bio-CNG, electric, and hydrogen-based technologies. “I am supporting alternative fuels like a crusader. I want to save on the ₹22 lakh crore fossil fuel imports and instead put ₹10-12 lakh crore into the hands of Indian farmers,” he said, suggesting that farmers could benefit by producing raw materials for biofuels, thus also boosting rural income.
Gadkari also tied environmental action to India’s broader economic ambitions. He reiterated that India’s aspiration to become a USD 5 trillion economy is closely linked to developing world-class infrastructure across transportation, water, power, and communication. One of the biggest barriers, he said, is India’s high logistics cost, currently estimated at 14–16% of GDP. By comparison, logistics costs are around 8% in China and 12% in the US and EU. “Our aim is to bring logistics costs down to single digits. By January next year, I expect it to fall to 9%,” he said, a move that would significantly boost economic efficiency and reduce emissions from transportation bottlenecks.
This is not the first time the senior BJP leader has publicly expressed concern about Delhi’s air. In December last year, he made similar remarks, saying he often falls sick after visiting the capital. “Every time I come to Delhi, I ask myself if I should even go. The pollution is so severe,” he had said, calling the city’s smog levels “frightening.”
Gadkari’s latest comments add to the growing chorus of concern over India’s urban air crisis, particularly in northern cities like Delhi, where particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) levels often cross the “hazardous” category during winter. His call for action, however, goes beyond air purifiers and regulatory tweaks — it envisions a systemic transformation in how India builds its roads, fuels its vehicles, and measures its growth.
