New Delhi, Oct 18 (PTI) The BJP on Friday alleged “negligence” by the AAP government, saying that the Delhi residents are facing a “double blow of pollution”.
In a statement, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva slammed the Aam Aadmi Party over air pollution and the thick layer of white froth floating on the Yamuna River surface.
“Due to the negligence of Arvind Kejriwal’s team, Delhi is facing the double blow of pollution. Toxic particles fill the air, and the water of the Yamuna has become poisonous,” Sachdeva said. Multiple videos of the white froth floating on the Yamuna River surfaced online. While it gradually dissipated later in the day, experts say that it poses health hazards for people, especially as the festive season approaches.
Earlier in the day, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai, at a press conference, said that while the whole of Delhi is breathing ‘poor’ air, it was particularly ‘very poor’ at 13 hotspots, where the Air Quality Index crossed 300. “The government has decided to form coordination committees for each to identify and mitigate local sources of pollution at 13 locations in the city stifled with “very poor” air,” Rai said. Sachdeva further said that Delhi residents remember Kejriwal’s promises during the 2020 campaign, where he repeatedly spoke of taking a dip in the Yamuna with his cabinet before the 2025 elections. He said that white foam occurs in the Yamuna due to the untreated sewage containing large amounts of phosphates and surfactants, the statement read. Neither the Kejriwal government nor Atishi’s administration has taken any action to address this issue, it added. “According to the DPCC’s August 2024 report, 22 out of the 37 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) operated by the Delhi Jal Board fail to meet sanitation standards,” the statement said.
To curb air pollution, the government on Tuesday implemented the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage 1.
Stage 1 of the GRAP, a set of winter-specific anti-pollution measures, focuses on controlling pollution through dust mitigation at construction sites, proper waste management, and regular road cleaning. It also mandates strict checks on polluting vehicles, better traffic management, and emission controls in industries, power plants, and brick kilns. PTI MHS HIG HIG
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