New Delhi:
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi hit out at the central government Monday, accusing it of failing to act and practicing “politics on pollution” after the national capital region woke this morning choking under a thick layer of toxic smog and an air quality index of 481 – the worst this season so far.
The Aam Aadmi Party leader blamed farm fires in neighbouring states (except Punjab, where too the AAP is in power) and lack of action by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led centre left the “people unable to breathe”. “Other cities in northern India are also polluted… what is the centre doing? Only Punjab has reduced stubble burning. Why doesn’t centre act against others?” she raged.
The Chief Minister’s outburst came as the Supreme Court ripped into her administration which invoked the third stage of anti-pollution measures, or GRAP-3, last week and lurched into the fourth this morning. In an inexplicable turn of events, GRAP-3 was invoked hours after Environment Minister Gopal Rai said it would not; this was despite the AQI have crossed 400.
Under the rules for GRAP stages, an AQI over 400 calls for immediate implementation of the third stage of ‘anti-pollution’ measures as the air quality is considered ‘severe’.
The top court, which hears anti-pollution and AQI control cases every winter, underlining the annual and predictable nature of this problem, posed tough questions to the ruling AAP, including asking why it had taken so long to enact GRAP-3 and how it is being implemented.
“Why did we wait for the AQI to cross 300? How could you take such a risk?”
The court also told the Delhi government it could not drop below Stage 4 (i.e., GRAP-4) without its express authorisation; “… even if AQI goes below 300… this is the order we’re proposing.”
The court has been fiercely critical of the Delhi government (and police) in several of its hearings on the AQI crisis, particularly after the post-Diwali deterioration – again, an annual and predictable worsening of the air quality after many in the city flout the ban on firecrackers.
On Monday last the bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih slammed the authorities, underlining that “no religion encourages any activity which creates pollution”.
The court, in an earlier hearing, had held the government and cops responsible for lax implementation of that ban on firecrackers, calling their attempts to explain “eyewash”.
In the past week Delhi has woken up daily to frightening blankets of toxic smog (smoke + fog) covering the city, prompting repeated warnings from health experts about increased respiratory illnesses and diseases. The usual range of ‘anti-pollution’ measures have kicked in – staggered office timings, online classes for schools and colleges, and restrictions on older automobiles.
However, as every year, the AQI continues to plummet to ever-more dangerous levels; this time around officials have also blamed “unfavourable” weather conditions over Delhi NCR.
BJP Slams AAP
The AAP’s struggles to control pollution levels in Delhi this year translate into ammunition for rivals BJP, which has pounced to blame the city-state government ahead of February’s election.
“The situation in Delhi is getting worse. People in Delhi are suffering because of the kind of governance in the city… dust control will have to be done and stubble burning in Punjab will have to stop. The situation of pollution is because of the Delhi government’s poor work and the people are facing the consequences,” the party’s Delhi unit boss, Virendraa Sachdeva, said.
With input from agencies
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