Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal demanded the immediate removal of the 18% GST on air and water purifiers, saying the charge punished families trying to protect themselves from choking pollution across Delhi–NCR.

In a post on X, Kejriwal wrote that clean air and clean water were “basic rights of every citizen” and said the government was “collecting more taxes instead of providing solutions.”

He said families who reached stores for air purifiers discovered they were paying 18% GST “which is outright injustice.”

“If you cannot provide solutions, at least stop burdening the pockets of the people,” the AAP chief said, urging the Centre to scrap the tax immediately.

The air quality is likely to remain 'very poor' over the coming week, according to the forecast by the Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi.

With Delhi's air quality slipping into the 'very poor' and 'severe' categories this winter, doctors have stressed the need for regular diagnostic screening to detect early signs of pollution-linked health deterioration, especially among smokers, asthma patients, children and people with pre-existing cardiac or respiratory conditions.