New Delhi: Amid worsening air quality in the national capital, Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Monday, asserted that the Delhi government is "doing its part" and demanded the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre to take immediate action to protect not just Delhi, but the entire North India region.
"At its level, the Delhi government is taking all possible steps. We have directed all officials to ensure strict implementation of GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) IV guidelines. I demand that the Central government take emergency measures so that the whole of north India can be saved from this situation," Rai said addressing a press conference in the national capital.
The AAP leader criticized the central government for its "lack of action" on the issue of rising pollution in the North India region.
"The effect of pollution is becoming dangerous in the changing weather in the whole of North India. But it is unfortunate that even at such a time the central government is sleeping and no one knows where the Union Environment Minister is, whereas the Center needs to work together with all the states," he said.
Highlighting the reduced incidents of stubble burning in Punjab, Rai expressed concerns over the purported increase in stubble burning cases in Uttar Pradesh.
"Stubble is a big factor in pollution. In Punjab, we have reduced the incidents of stubble burning to 7 thousand as compared to 74 thousand in 2022, but in Uttar Pradesh, the incidents of stubble burning have increased from 1.5 thousand to 2.5 thousand," he said.
"BS-IV buses are running around Delhi but they are not being stopped. BJP has formed the government at the Center for the third time if an action plan had been made with all the governments, then these days would not have come," he added.
Rai also held a meeting with HoDs of all concerned departments for the effective implementation of GRAP-IV in Delhi.
Earlier in the day, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla attacked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Arvind Kejriwal for failing to address both the severe pollution in Delhi and the ongoing contamination of the Yamuna River.
Poonawalla said, "Delhi is setting new records in terms of air pollution every day... AAP and Arvind Kejriwal have done nothing in this; they just did politics."
Poonawalla accused AAP of not taking action against the growing pollution. He pointed out that the party, which once blamed stubble burning in Punjab for Delhi's pollution, has remained silent after coming to power in Punjab. "Earlier they used to blame stubble burning in Punjab, but when they came to power in Punjab, they became silent... Yamuna water is so polluted," he added.
Notably, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) imposed the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage 4 in Delhi NCR from Monday, which saw the Air Quality Index (AQI) dipping into the 'severe plus' category.
This decision was taken after Delhi's daily average AQI rose sharply to 441 by 4 pm on Sunday and further escalated to 457 by 7 pm, which prompted an emergency meeting of the GRAP Sub-Committee.
