‘ Water sprinkled on AQI monitors to…’

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar on Monday alleged that the ruling BJP government had sprinkled water on AQI monitors to lower the readings. While participating in the protests at India Gate, Kakkar demanded the government to formulate policies to reduce air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region.

Speaking to ANI, Priyanka Kakkar said: “BJP sprinkled water on AQI monitors to bring down the values. BJP is manipulating the data. This reduces the integrity and credibility of the BJP. Even the BJP workers should be here with us, but they are sitting at home with air purifiers. The BJP needs to understand that air and water are not a matter of politics.”

He also stated that they worked 365 days a week on every issue when the AAP government was in power in the national capital. “BJP is avoiding responsibility. It is living in denial and playing with our health. If CM Rekha Gupta was serious about pollution, she would have addressed citizens about the steps being taken to reduce pollution,” he added.

Delhi police urged protesters to follow the Supreme Court’s directions and move to Jantar Mantar. Devesh Kumar Mahla, DCP of New Delhi district, said: “India Gate is not a protest site. As per the Supreme Court’s directions, the designated protest site in New Delhi is Jantar Mantar. So, we have advised everyone to follow the guidelines. People come to India Gate to have fun with their families and it is a national monument. There are VIP routes here; we are deployed here regularly.”

A protesting member called on the government to make policies to reduce pollution. “AQI is reaching its peak. We are being evicted here and we are not allowed to protest peacefully. Common people are dying. But the government is not designing any policy and is not hiding the date. They are spraying water on data centres. The entire workforce has been deployed in Bihar. Even cloud seeding did not work. This is not a solution anyway. We want a permanent solution. Even the people are fast asleep. Many people are here to watch the spectacle but they are not raising their voices.” Protests,” said one protester.

The air quality in the national capital fell into the ‘severe’ category on Sunday, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 391 at 7 am, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Alarming pollution levels were recorded in several parts of the city, with AQI readings crossing the 400 mark.

According to CPCB data, Anand Vihar recorded an AQI of 412, Alipur reported 415 and Bawana recorded the highest level at 436. Chandni Chowk recorded an AQI of 409, while RK Puram and Patparganj recorded 422 and 425 respectively. Sonia Vihar also recorded a ‘severe’ AQI of 415, indicating hazardous weather conditions in the city.

Since Diwali, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) has been floundering under the ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ categories in many areas, even as Phase 2 of the Gradual Response Action Plan (GRAP) remains in force.

New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has announced that parking charges in the national capital will be doubled following the rollout of Phase II of Phased Response Action Plan (GRAP) due to deterioration in air quality.

According to the CPCB, an AQI of 0 to 50 is considered ‘good’, 51-100 is ‘satisfactory’, 101-200 is ‘moderate’, 201-300 is ‘poor’, 301-400 is ‘very poor’ and 401-500 is ‘severe’. (MOMENT)