New Delhi: AAP has accused BJP-led Delhi govt of manipulating air quality figures and claimed that AQI crossed 3,000 at several locations in the capital on Diwali night.
An AAP functionary said govt was sprinkling water around monitoring stations and installing 20 stations in green areas to artificially lower Delhi’s average AQI. He said that govt had installed 20 new monitoring stations in green and open areas. Therefore, govt has identified new areas where the population and traffic are lower and which are greener.
The “misleading pollution figures could expose people to serious health risks, including heart attacks, asthma and respiratory failure,” he said. AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha also hit out at BJP minister Kapil Mishra over his allegations of “conspiracy against Delhi” in Punjab where there was an alleged spike in farm fires on Diwali night. Jha said that Mishra’s remarks were an attempt to hide BJP govt’s failure to control pollution in Delhi. Incidents of stubble burning have decreased in Punjab, and farmers have worked hard,” said Jha. This will not reduce pollution, but the data will be made to appear lower,” the AAP functionary said. AAP said BJP govt should take responsibility for its actions and present the public with the true AQI. “If this is not done, the lives of people who are ill, the elderly and children may be lost,” he added.
“Stubble was burned in Punjab, and Delhi’s pollution immediately shot up? Does the air teleport all the way to Delhi? “Areas such as Anand Vihar and Jahangirpuri have high levels of pollution, traffic and population density. When the average is calculated using these stations, it will come down.