The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued a stern message to the Union government over the capital’s deepening air pollution crisis, stating that citizens cannot be left to suffer without relief. The court made it clear that if authorities are unable to guarantee clean air, the least they must do is reduce the steep Goods and Services Tax (GST) imposed on air purifiers.

A bench led by Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela described the 18 per cent GST on air purifiers—the highest slab under the tax regime—as unjustified during what it termed a public health emergency. The judges observed that lowering the tax would be the bare minimum step to ease the burden on residents forced to rely on these devices to breathe safely indoors.

The remarks came during the hearing of a petition filed by advocate Kapil Madan, who argued that air purifiers can no longer be viewed as comfort appliances. He urged the court to recognise them as essential health-support devices and bring their GST rate down to 5 per cent. The petition contended that the current tax structure makes air purifiers inaccessible to large sections of society, effectively penalising people for trying to protect their health.

Highlighting the gravity of the situation, the court asked the Centre to assess the long-term damage being inflicted on nearly three crore people living in Delhi and the National Capital Region. The bench instructed the government to respond by 2:30 pm, underlining that the matter should be treated with emergency-level urgency.

Meanwhile, air quality across the region continued to remain in the “very poor” to “severe” category. On Wednesday morning, pollution levels crossed alarming thresholds in multiple cities, with thick smog once again blanketing parts of the national capital. Areas around Kartavya Path near India Gate were seen covered in haze during Republic Day parade rehearsals, reflecting the persistent nature of the crisis.

Recent data paints a grim picture. Delhi has witnessed repeated spikes in pollution this winter, with some days ranking among the worst air quality levels ever recorded for the month of December. Health studies have linked toxic air in the city to a significant share of premature deaths, raising serious concerns about long-term public health consequences.