‘Targetted use of firecrackers’: Gopal Rai blames BJP for Delhi air pollution
Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI, which was 218 at 4pm on Sunday, rose to 240 by midnight and 301 by 10am on Monday
NEW DELHI: Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Monday blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a sudden drop in air quality on Sunday evening, saying the party’s leaders were behind the “targetted” use of firecrackers in parts of the national Capital on Diwali, a charge that was promptly denied by the BJP which accused the Aam Aadmi Party governments in Delhi and Punjab for failing to take the necessary steps.
Rai said the pollution levels in the city increased on Sunday evening due to firecrackers. “The pollution level (Air Quality Index or AQI) was under 215 in the last three days but due to firecrackers, the pollution levels have spiked. It has come to light that many people avoided using firecrackers but in some places, firecrackers were burst on a large scale,” the minister said to explain the rise in pollution levels.
Delhi’s 24-hour average AQI on Sunday was recorded at 218 at 4pm by the Central Pollution Control Board and started to rise after 8pm. By 10pm, it was at 230, 240 at midnight, 244 at 2am, 250 by 4am, 266 by 6am, 283 at 8am and reached 301 by 10am on Monday. PM 2.5 remained the prominent pollutant, showcasing the impact of combustion sources – in this case, firecrackers.
“The people of Delhi were cautious not to use firecrackers so that the air pollution did not worsen. But the way the BJP leaders egged people (to burst firecrackers), people have to suffer due to pollution. I think the post-Diwali air could have been far better had the firecrackers not been used. I want to appeal to the people of Delhi that they should not come under the influence of the BJP which misleads the people because the air quality impacts us,” said Rai.
The senior AAP leader said BJP leaders who encouraged people to burst firecrackers “should introspect”.
“It is unfortunate that despite the Supreme Court order, the BJP is not shouldering its responsibility,” he said, pointing out that firecrackers were burst till late in the night in some parts including in the heart of the capital, Lutyens’ Delhi area.
This was possible because the police were under the control of the BJP and did not act against violators, not only in Delhi but also in Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana, he said. “BJP wanted firecrackers to be used… it controls the police in the three states. The result is before us”.
Delhi BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana said the AAP government, which had failed to take steps to check stubble burning in Punjab where the AAP is in power, was one of the biggest factors behind pollution in Delhi.
“The AAP government has done nothing to improve the public bus transport system - the e-buses inducted in the capital were funded by the Centre - the government has done nothing to check dust pollution, or acted against open biomass burning which together are responsible for the air pollution,” Khurana said.
“After the Supreme Court’s rap, stubble burning stopped for two days in Punjab but yesterday 982 incidents of stubble burning were reported from Punjab out of a total of 1482. Instead of blaming the BJP, the AAP minister should talk to the Punjab CM and check stubble burning,” Khurana added.
Last week the Delhi government deferred its proposed plans to implement an odd-even road rationing scheme amid improvement in the air quality due to rains. The decision on the odd-even scheme and other measures are being reviewed at a meeting on air pollution that is being attended by officials from the environment, transport, revenue, MCD and other departments.