Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva on Sunday alleged that the current state government led by Atishi is not serious about tackling winter pollution, which is similar to the previous Arvind Kejriwal- led dispensation.
He said that Environment Minister Gopal Rai, who held the same position in both governments, makes tall claims through the media during the months September and October, predicting improvements in pollution levels between the end of the monsoon and the onset of winter.
He claimed that as soon as stubble burning begins in Punjab after Dussehra, Delhi turns into a gas chamber and Rai starts avoiding media interactions.
The saffron party’s state unit chief asserted that claims made by Delhi’s environment minister mentioning improvement in pollution are hollow. According to him, the improvement in air quality earlier this year had nothing to do with efforts made by the state government, rather, it was due to prolonged monsoon rains.
Sachdeva said that frequent downpours and strong winds quickly cleared dust and pollutants from the atmosphere. He said that pollution levels in Delhi typically worsen between October and February, and warned that the city is now entering that phase.
He further criticized Rai’s recent statements about improved air quality, claiming that Delhi’s AQI has deteriorated sharply in the past three days. As per Delhi BJP chief, from Friday to Sunday, the AQI has been rising rapidly, with Anand Vihar emerging as the most polluted area.
Sachdeva criticized Rai for making misleading claims about pollution improvement, while stubble burning had already started in Punjab.He also called on Rai to make public all the discussions and correspondence with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on the pollution issue.