Delhi Forest and Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa during a press conference on the issue of Delhi pollution, at the Delhi Secretariat, in New Delhi.
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Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Wednesday accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of deliberately burning waste to worsen pollution levels in the capital. Addressing a press conference, Sirsa said he made the allegation “with regret”, claiming that AAP leaders were intentionally setting garbage on fire and even hoping for a rise in the Air Quality Index (AQI).
“They are burning waste and praying that pollution levels go up. They do not care about the people of Delhi. Such dirty politics should not be done,” Sirsa alleged, adding that public health was being ignored for political gain.
The accusations against the Arvind Kejriwal-led party came shortly after Sirsa announced a series of measures aimed at controlling pollution as air quality in Delhi continued to deteriorate.
Referring to the Trilokpuri area, Sirsa said he was informed by the local MLA that an AAP councillor had set fire to waste in his ward and later recorded a video of the incident. The minister was pointing to a video shared by AAP councillor Vijay Kumar, which showed a pile of garbage burning in Trilokpuri, with thick smoke rising in the already polluted atmosphere.
“I request Arvind Kejriwal with folded hands not to indulge in such dirty politics. Your children also live in Delhi. Please do not do this to your own people,” Sirsa said.
Sirsa was addressing a press conference to announce fresh curbs in the capital, including work from home for offices and mandatory PUC certificates and ban on vehicles under BS6 from entering Delhi.
“We are continuously working to improve air quality in the coming week. There will be 50% work from home in Delhi, which is a significant step. Starting tomorrow, I appeal to the people of Delhi to get their PUC (Pollution Under Control) certificates. They will not get fuel without a PUC certificate. Trucks carrying construction materials into Delhi have also been banned… I appeal to people coming from outside Delhi to bring vehicles that comply with Bharat Stage 6 (BS6) emission standards,” Sirsa told reporters, according to ANI.
AAP responds
Responding to the BJP’s allegations, AAP said Sirsa had a “habit of indulging in lies and fraud”.
“Since assuming charge as environment minister, Sirsa had manipulated AQI readings by shutting down monitoring systems and spraying water on AQI stations to create a false narrative,” AAP said.
The party called Sirsa’s allegation about garbage burning “yet another lie”, adding that if the minister had any evidence, he should lodge an FIR or refrain from making what it termed “fake claims”.
The capital on Wednesday registered an AQI of 334 in the “very poor” category. On Saturday, the pollution levels had plunged in the “severe plus” category, seeing an AQI of over 400 for three consecutive days.However, large parts of the city remained enveloped in toxic smog, and the overall air quality continues to be poor. Anand Vihar was shrouded in thick smog, with an AQI of 341, placing it in the ‘very poor’ category.
