New Delhi: Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday urged the central government to immediately withdraw the 18% GST levied on air and water purifiers, citing the rapidly deteriorating air quality in Delhi-NCR.

In a post on X, written in Hindi, Kejriwal said that clean air and clean water are basic rights of every citizen, especially when pollution levels in Delhi and North India have reached hazardous levels.

He criticised the government for “collecting more taxes” at a time when people are struggling to protect their families from toxic air.

“In Delhi and across North India, the air has become deadly. Instead of providing solutions, the government is collecting more taxes from the public,” Kejriwal said.

The former AAP chief added that many citizens are shocked to discover they must pay 18% GST while purchasing air purifiers, calling it “outright injustice.”

Kejriwal demanded that the Centre remove GST on both air and water purifiers without delay.

“If you cannot provide solutions, at least stop burdening the pockets of the people,” he stated.

Air Quality to Remain ‘Very Poor’

According to the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi, pollution levels are expected to remain in the ‘very poor’ category over the coming week. Several parts of the city have already recorded readings slipping into ‘severe’ levels this winter.

Doctors​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Warn of Health Risks

In the face of increasing pollution, doctors have been urging people to take preventive diagnostic tests regularly. This advice is mainly directed to smokers, asthma patients, children, and people suffering from heart or respiratory diseases. They claim that the very first identification of health decline caused by pollution is the key to avoiding it becoming irreversible.

This very point of contention is reflected in the debate on whether public health should be prioritized over taxation or if it is the government’s obligation to take care of the environment, which is elaborated by Kejriwal’s demand as well. His demand therefore, as Delhi struggles with acute pollution for years consecutively, is a new factor to this ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌debate.