On Thursday (16th November), the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena slammed the Aam Aadmi Party government in Delhi for failing to curb the rising pollution. The LG Delhi also advised AAP leaders, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann to focus on the work rather than politics. “We can achieve sustainable goals within a fixed timeline. Let’s do it. Politics can wait,” he said.
In a series of tweets posted on 16th November, LG Delhi while slamming Delhi CM said that blaming other states for the rising pollution in Delhi is not the solution. “The real solution to pollution in Delhi lies in Delhi itself,” he said. This is after a thick layer of smog concealed the national capital Delhi on Thursday (16th November) morning, with air quality in several parts of the city classified as “severe.”
“We can do little to stop crop residue smoke from other states, apart from pleading with them. Despite States, especially Punjab playing truant, we are, but petitioners for mercy. AQI yet hovers around 400, making the capital gasp,” the LG Delhi said.
Crackers certainly add to the menace. The most affected in this gas chamber are those who commute on roads to earn their daily bread. The poor & the hapless living in slums & unauthorized colonies whose lungs are frying because they can't afford to sit at home & buy air purifiers pic.twitter.com/ogNbtcZouu
— LG Delhi (@LtGovDelhi) November 16, 2023
Observing that firecrackers undoubtedly contribute to the danger, he stated that those most affected in this ‘gas chamber’ are those who travel on roads for their jobs. “Crackers certainly add to the menace. The most affected in this gas chamber are those who commute on roads to earn their daily bread. The poor and the hapless living in slums and unauthorized colonies whose lungs are frying because they can’t afford to sit at home and buy air purifiers,” he said on Twitter.
He went on to say that we can reduce choking smog by reducing the dust caused by unrepaired roads, unpaved pavements, and construction sites. “We can employ effective means to curb our vehicular emissions,” he added.
He also went on to say that blaming others cannot and should not be used as an excuse for years of inaction.
“Since the deadly smog in 2016, this has become a recurrent issue subjected to nothing but platitude and rhetoric. Blaming others cannot and should not be an alibi for gross inaction over the years. Publicity around props like smog towers mean little and politics of propaganda that involve overhyped events like Red Light On, Gaadi Off, and Odd-Even cannot hold the life of people of Delhi to ransom,” he added.
Nothing concrete has been attempted since the implementation of CNG in Delhi and the construction of a maze of flyovers, the LG Delhi stated.
“Delhi requires action, not mere rhetoric. We can achieve sustainable goals within a fixed timeline. Let’s do it. Politics can wait,” he said. The national capital is currently undergoing pollution control measures as part of CRAP stage four.
Blaming others cannot and should not be alibi for gross inaction over years.
— LG Delhi (@LtGovDelhi) November 16, 2023
Since the deadly smog in 2016, this has become a recurrent issue subjected to nothing but platitude and rhetoric. pic.twitter.com/2y1EEegOqB
As was reported on 6th November, the AAP government accused Haryana of the alarmingly bad air quality in Delhi. In a statement during a press conference, AAP’s Chief National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said that the air in Delhi had got much cleaner, with a drop of 31 percent in pollution, the best in eight years.
She further asserted that there had been a reduction in stubble burning in Punjab, and the stubble being burnt in Punjab was not affecting Delhi as it is 500 KM away. However, Haryana, which is close to Delhi, was burning stubble only 100 KM away. Accusing the Khattar government of not taking any steps to reduce pollution, she added that the Haryana government had not formulated the plan to buy 100 EV buses. Furthermore, the buses that enter Delhi from Haryana run on fuel banned in Delhi, she said.
The AAP spokesperson also claimed that the Haryana government was not supporting the industries so that they could shift to cleaner fuel like Delhi. In a nutshell, the AAP has tried to throw BJP-ruled Haryana under the bus for the pollution in Delhi’s air.
