LG Flags 'Dust Disaster' in Letter to CM Atishi, AAP Calls BJP 'Hypocrite'

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Wednesday wrote to Chief Minister Atishi citing road dust as the biggest contributor to air pollution in the city and suggesting it would be better to set one's own house in order rather than blaming others.

The AAP, however, said the country's top three cities with the worst AQI levels are in BJP-ruled Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, which exposes the party's hypocrisy.

It claimed Delhi was "breathing its cleanest air in the last decade" and noted today's Supreme Court order reprimanding the Centre for not taking stringent measures to control pollution.

Citing studies and his own experience of visiting various localities, Saxena claimed in his letter that about 36 per cent of the air pollution in the city was due to dust on the roads, largely caused by unprocessed construction and demolition waste.

He claimed the Delhi government might have little control over 26 per cent of the causative factors behind pollution due to parali (paddy stubble) burning in other states but the remaining 74 per cent was well within its control.

"I reiterate again that all it would take to address the situation are simple measures -- regular repair of roads, end to end carpeting of pavements, planting small shrubs, forages and grass covers in open areas and central verges of the roads, porous tiled carpeting of pavements and footpaths, mechanical sweeping of roads among others," he said.

Most important in this regard is repair of the roads that are in an "extraordinarily bad shape", causing tonnes of dust to fly around with vehicles running on them, the LG pointed out.

He expressed his readiness to work in tandem with the chief minister and her government to help mitigate the "dust disaster" in the city.

"I am conscious of the fact that smoke coming from neighbouring states especially those to our north is worsening the situation in Delhi and if need be, I will again request them to help us. However, it will only be appropriate that we first set our house in order before blaming others or asking for their help," Saxena said.

Responding to LG's letter, the AAP issued a statement saying, "Delhi is the only state where a Summer Action Plan, Winter Action Plan, and targeted efforts against pollution are implemented. As a result, pollution in Delhi has dropped by over 31 per cent, and this year, Delhi is breathing its cleanest air in the last decade."

It pointed out that the country's top three cities with the worst AQI levels today are from BJP-ruled Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, where they have held power for nearly a decade. "This exposes their hypocrisy regarding pollution," the AAP added.

The LG also said in his letter that his personal efforts on the direction of National Green Tribunal (NGT) showed results in dealing with municipal waste processing and rejuvenation of Yamuna but the then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal got his initiative stalled through judicial intervention.

Saxena claimed that due to his efforts, the municipal waste processing at a rate of 1.41 lakh metric ton (MT) per month before July 2022, had increased to over six lakh MT per month, while biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels in the Yamuna also started showing a decreasing trend in just five months due to action of two high-powered committees chaired by him.

The LG lamented that the air quality index (AQI) in the city is approaching 400 even while the "pathetic" state of pollution in the Yamuna ahead of Chhath festival doing rounds all over television and social media.

Saxena said that the situation was totally avoidable and the solutions lied in the hands of the Delhi government itself.

The LG requested the people in positions of power including the ministers, policy makers, officers living in "posh areas" to go out and see how "simple and easy" to tackle the pollution problem that appears to be unsurmountable due to "neglect and apathy" of the people at the helm of the affairs.