AAP leader hits out at officials over shut smog tower in CP


Expressing concern over the smog tower in Connaught Place which was again non-operational, Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday took a dig at the officials, saying that they work as per their wishes.

He said that earlier the smog tower was closed, and after the court’s direction they started it, but, again it has been shut, and he raised doubts on why the tower was shut down.

Bharadwaj further hit out at the officers of Delhi government, saying that these days officials did not follow the orders by the ministers, as they were aware no action will be taken against them, Bharadwaj claimed.

The AAP leader further accused the Central government of deliberately spreading mismanagement.

With the air pollution battering Delhi during its peak in November last year, the apex court instructed the government to run the smog tower and further Delhi government issued an order to the concerned authorities to run the tower installed at Connaught Place at its full capacity.

It is being said that the tower’s operation once again came to a halt due to shortage of funds.

Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality remained in the very poor category on Sunday, according to the AQI reading by the Central Pollution Control Agency (CPCB) at 3 pm, which was 334.

According to reports, the tower, when run at its full capacity, brings in some improvement in the air quality of the area up to a certain radius surrounding the tower by reducing pollutants such as PM 2.5 and PM 10 to some extent.

Earlier, the tower was stopped after the Realtime Source Apportionment Study (RSAS) with regard to Delhi’s pollution had come to a standstill.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had earlier recommended suspension of DPCC chief to Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena for allegedly stopping the special Realtime Source Apportionment Study (RSAS) on Delhi’s air pollution and also shutting down a smog tower.