Air pollution: AAP claims Delhi govt sprinkling water on monitors to falsify readings, BJP says problem emerged over last 10 years

New Delhi, November 10 (ANI): Delhi's air quality has plunged into the 'Very Poor' category, sparking fresh concerns over public health as political parties trade blame over rising pollution levels in the national capital.
Citizens staged a protest at India Gate on Sunday, demanding a government policy to curb air pollution, but were reportedly detained by police, intensifying the debate over the city's deteriorating air quality.
Delhi AAP President Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the Rekha Gupta-led Delhi government of manipulating air quality data amid rising pollution levels across the city and North India. Alleging "deception and data tampering," Bharadwaj told ANI,
"The problem of pollution is not new for Delhi and North India. The anger among people, especially intellectuals, stems from the government's deception and tampering with data. As soon as pollution increases, the government shuts down AQI monitoring stations. Wherever AQI is high, spraying is being done around those AQI monitoring stations... People are troubled and stunned to see that major institutions are involved in this tampering, and that the fraud is happening openly... The government's intention is not to reduce pollution but to reduce its figures...," Bharadwaj said.
Jairam Ramesh, General Secretary in incharge of Communication in Congress, also criticised the Delhi government and police for preventing citizens from protesting.
"The iconic India Gate is on Kartavya Path - so named by the PM himself. The citizens of Delhi who are protesting for better air quality are only wanting to carry out their own Kartavya under Article 51-A (g) of the Constitution of India which mandates them 'to protect and improve the natural environment'," Jairam Ramesh posted on X.
AAP Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar, joining the India Gate protest, alleged, "The BJP got water to be sprinkled on AQI monitors to lower the readings. The BJP is manipulating the data... This lowers the BJP's integrity and credibility... Even the BJP people should be here with us, but they are sitting at home with their air purifiers... The BJP needs to understand that the air and water are not a matter of politics..."
Residents also expressed frustration over the worsening air quality. Neha, a Delhi resident, said, "We have only one issue, and that's clean air. This problem has been going on for years, but no action is being taken. It's a violation of our constitutional rights. We've been struggling with this for 10 years. No one cares about the health and rights of citizens. This is a violation of Article 21, our right to life. We don't have clean air to breathe. I don't understand what we're waiting for, and why we're not taking action. Peaceful protests are going on here, but people are being dragged and detained in buses. This is also a violation of Article 19. This isn't a political matter. It's about clean air."
Another resident also expressed that he was over rising air pollution, saying, "The AQI is touching heights... We are being evacuated and not allowed to protest peacefully here... Common people are dying. Yet the government is not designing any policies and hiding the data. They are sprinkling water at the data centres... Even the cloud seeding didn't work. That is, anyway, not a solution. We want a permanent solution... Even the public is fast asleep. Many people are here to watch the show, but they are not raising their voices in protests..."
Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa defended the government's efforts, saying, "We are making continuous efforts. This is a disease that has emerged over the last ten years, which was brought to light by the Aam Aadmi Party. This year's AQI is better compared to previous years... We have installed new smog guns in all high-rise buildings in Delhi, and replaced all polluting buses with e-buses... Many such steps are being taken..."
He further added, "The Aam Aadmi Party was in power for 10 years, and the pollution figures were continuously increasing. In the last 7-8 months, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's government has done several such works that have directly helped in reducing pollution in Delhi, such as introducing electric buses in Delhi... steps have been taken to clean Yamuna Ji... we are continuously working, the government has repaired all its roads and infrastructure, continuous water sprinkling is being done to reduce dust in Delhi... we are continuously striving to give Delhi clean air."
Sirsa also claimed that the citizens' protest at India Gate was organised by the AAP and criticised the previous government, stating, "AAP is organising this protest. But it is they who left here with 10 years of pollution. I would like to ask them who gave this pollution? Did it happen on its own? No. AAP destroyed everything in 10 years. The AQI was 500-1000 last year. They gave us 10 years of disease. AQI kept rising every year," the Delhi Minister said.
Sirsa further argued that the Rekha Gupta government has been consistently cleaning up the national capital by removing garbage dumps and installing anti-smog guns on all high-rise buildings.
"But after Rekha Gupta's government came to power, we have been successful in cleaning things up month after month. We are removing garbage dumps, installing anti-smog guns on all high-rise buildings in Delhi, mitigating dust in Delhi, and electric buses are being brought in. So, a 10-year disease cannot be cured in 6-7 months. We are working to mitigate the poison left behind by the AAP in Delhi's air," Sirsa said.
Meanwhile, air quality in Delhi remained alarming, with the overall AQI at 345 at 6 pm on Monday, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data. Several parts of the city, including Anand Vihar (379), Alipur (364), Chandni Chowk (345), RK Puram (365), Patparganj (372), and Bawana (411), recorded hazardous levels of pollution. The national capital has been under Stage 2 of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) since Diwali, with measures such as doubled parking fees implemented to curb emissions.
Top health expert Naresh Trehan expressed concern over the public health risks, stating, "It is a major hazard from a healthwise. Many people have to be hospitalised due to this. This is a disaster in a way for humanity. Public health is at a very high risk right now. There is an increase in lung problems, asthma, strokes."
He urged authorities to adopt serious preventive measures instead of engaging in political blame games. (ANI)