Delhi BJP MLA Vijender Gupta has written to Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena complaining about the AAP government’s failure to deal with the growing pollution level in the national capital.
In his letter to the LG. Gupta said the pollution in Delhi has increased to alarming levels adversely affecting public health. The ever-deteriorating air quality in the city severely impacted the health of the citizens, causing a continuous decline in the quality of life.
He alleged that despite the gravity of the situation, the Delhi government failed to propose or implement any effective solutions to mitigate the pollution problem. Instead, they have been busy blaming the BJP while completely neglecting their responsibilities towards the people of Delhi.
For the past decade, there has been a complete lack of constructive strategies to deal with the problem, he contended.
Citing an RTI report, Gupta wrote by June 2024, the number of employees of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) had reduced to 107 regular and 87 contract workers, significantly lower than the previous year’s figures. He asked how the government could deal with the pollution with the depleted staff at the pollution panel.
Last year, there were 111 regular employees and 122 contract employees in the pollution control agency.
Noting the significant reduction in the staff of the DPCC, Gupta claimed that the anti-pollution panel is currently operating at only 54 per cent of its sanctioned capacity, severely hampering its ability to effectively address serious pollution challenges.
The BJP MLA said the people of Delhi are bearing the brunt of pollution-related diseases like asthma, cough, and allergies making life difficult for them. As the city has become one of the most polluted cities in the world, it is essential to take immediate and concrete steps to reduce pollution.
As the nodal agency responsible for pollution control, the DPCC is struggling with a severe staff crunch while no substantial measures have been taken to bridge this gap, the BJP leader claimed.
Gupta urged Saxena to intervene in the matter and ensure that the problem is addressed with the urgency and seriousness that it deserves.
He requested the LG to take prompt action to ensure that the anti-pollution committee has adequate staff and means to tackle the pollution issues.