New Delhi: Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta on Friday claimed that crop stubble burning accounts for only 5 per cent of air pollution in the city while local factors contribute to the remaining 95 per cent for which the Arvind Kejriwal government is to be blamed. Gupta said the BJP-ruled municipal corporations in the city are “battling air pollution at the forefront” and alleged that the Delhi government is busy with publicity only.
No immediate reaction to the claims and allegations made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was available from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). “In Delhi, crop stubble burning accounts for 5 per cent air pollution. Rest 95 per cent of pollution is due to local factors for which the Delhi government is answerable. It should tell what steps it has taken so far to tackle pollution,” Gupta said in a joint press conference with three mayors of the party-ruled municipal corporations.
The mayors elaborated on the steps taken by the three corporations to tackle air pollution. Gupta also alleged that the Delhi government is hampering work of municipal corporations by depriving them of due funds.
A total of around Rs 13,000 crore is pending so far that the Delhi government has to pay to the three corporations, he claimed. “We just want to ask the Delhi chief minister if his government is concerned only about publicity,” Gupta said.
North Delhi Mayor Jai Prakash said the civic body has deployed130 sprinklers that cover over 600-km roads everyday to mitigate dust pollution. “Jet machines to clean trees; plantation of thousands of shrubs and plants on central verges of road and teams to check open garbage burning are other steps taken for reducing pollution,” he said.
East Delhi Mayor Nirmal Jain said a special chemical is mixed in water used by 40 sprinklers that keeps dust settled for longer period of 8-10 hours as compared to plain water. “We are working on the ground to tackle pollution but have received no help from the Delhi government. It announced to pay us Rs 310 crore but gave just Rs 94 crore,” Jain claimed.
South Delhi Mayor Anamika Mithilesh said water is being sprinkled on roads under jurisdiction of the civic body with the help of 83 sprinklers while over 700 km of roads are swept daily to tackle dust. Delhi recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 251 at 10 am on Friday. The 24-hour average AQI on Thursday was 315, which falls in the ‘very poor’ category. The city’s average AQI on Thursday was also the worst since February 12 (AQI 320).
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