Atishi blames BJP's "dirty politics" for pollution in Delhi

New Delhi [India], October 23 (ANI): Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Wednesday accused the BJP's "dirty politics" of being responsible for the rising air and water pollution in Delhi. After visiting the Wazirabad Barrage, she stated that the increase in ammonia levels in the Yamuna is due to untreated industrial waste being discharged from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, resulting in a 40% reduction in water production.
Atishi emphasised that the pollution in Delhi has worsened over the past few days, particularly in the Yamuna, where she noted the presence of white foam forming on the river, especially during Diwali. She claimed this is a deliberate act by the BJP-led governments in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which are sending untreated water into the Yamuna.
As a consequence, the ammonia levels have skyrocketed, rendering the water undrinkable. She highlighted that the dirty water from Haryana is reaching water treatment plants, which affects the supply of clean water to residents. The production at three treatment plants--Wazirabad, Sonia Vihar, and Bhagirathi--has been impacted due to the elevated ammonia levels.
Atishi urged Delhi residents to recognize that the root cause of these issues is the BJP's "dirty politics." She noted that while the BJP is harming the people of Delhi, her government is working to protect them. Addressing the issue of stubble burning, she mentioned that incidents have decreased in Punjab compared to 2021 and 2023, while they have increased in Haryana.
She concluded by encouraging the BJP to hate the Aam Aadmi Party but not the people of Delhi, affirming her commitment to thwarting the BJP's harmful actions, whether related to the Yamuna or the air quality.
A thick smog engulfed Delhi on Wednesday morning as the AQI registered at 354. The doctors have said that rising air pollution is also causing an increase in the number of patients with respiratory issues by 15 percent.
Meanwhile, toxic foam has been seen floating in the Yamuna River in Kalindi Kunj as pollution levels in the river continue to remain high.
Meanwhile the Leader of opposition in Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the national capital over the rising air pollution and said that they are not deterring from politics even when AQI is crossing 350.
"They (Delhi government) are not deterring from politics even when AQI is crossing 350 in Delhi. What steps did they take? They even off-roaded electric buses... If there are 800 electric buses in the fleet, pollution can be brought down to a great extent if they are operational...Does Delhi government even want to take an effective step to combat pollution," Delhi LoP Vijender Gupta told ANI.
The CAQM had ordered the implementation of GRAP-II in the national capital region after the air quality was measured under the "Very Poor" category. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data confirms the same. (ANI)