Delhi, the capital city of India, is grappling with a severe air and water pollution crisis. The situation has worsened significantly with the onset of winter, leading to a sharp decline in air quality and the formation of toxic froth on the Yamuna River. Chief Minister Atishi of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has squarely blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for this environmental disaster, accusing them of playing 'dirty politics' that is exacerbating the problem.
The air quality in Delhi has plummeted to the 'very poor' category, as reported by various monitoring centers in the National Capital Region (NCR). This has led to severe respiratory issues for a significant portion of the population, with over half of Delhi's residents struggling to breathe due to the high levels of particulate matter in the air.
The toxic froth on the Yamuna River is another alarming indicator of the water pollution crisis. Chief Minister Atishi has pointed out that this is primarily due to untreated industrial wastewater released by factories in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh into the river. She emphasized that Haryana alone releases 165 million gallons per day (MGD) of untreated industrial wastewater through various drains into the Yamuna, while Uttar Pradesh discharges 65 MGD of similarly polluted water.
Atishi has also highlighted the role of diesel buses from Uttar Pradesh in worsening air quality in Delhi. These buses, which reach the Kaushambi bus depot on the Delhi-Ghaziabad border, contribute significantly to particulate matter emissions. Additionally, brick kilns in the NCR region and thermal plants in the area are major contributors to air pollution.
In contrast, Punjab under AAP leadership has made significant strides in reducing stubble burning. According to central government data, incidents of stubble burning have been halved since AAP took charge in Punjab. However, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh have seen an increase in farm fires this year, with Haryana witnessing a 23% rise and Uttar Pradesh experiencing a 70% surge in stubble burning incidents between October 1 and 15 compared to last year.
The Delhi government has initiated measures to combat the rising pollution levels. Starting from Sunday night (October 20), silicone-based defoamers will be used to subside the froth layer on the Yamuna's surface.
However, not everyone agrees with Atishi's assessment. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has accused the AAP government of deflecting blame for the poor water quality of the Yamuna River. He pointed out that Haryana's biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) for water supplied to Delhi is about 2-3 mg per liter, which is significantly lower than what Delhi itself discharges into Okhla.
The BJP has also criticized AAP's handling of pollution issues. BJP Delhi chief Virendra Sachdeva alleged that more than half of Delhi's population is struggling with breathing problems due to severe air pollution and attacked AAP leaders for failing to address this issue effectively.
In response to these criticisms, AAP leader Satyendar Jain accused the BJP of arresting AAP leaders to obstruct their efforts to clean the Yamuna River. He claimed that when the BJP realized AAP was making progress in cleaning up the Yamuna, they arrested several AAP leaders, including himself, who was in charge of the Yamuna cleaning project.
The ongoing debate highlights the complex nature of Delhi's pollution crisis and the political dynamics involved. As Delhi struggles to find solutions under the leadership of Chief Minister Atishi and AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, it remains to be seen how effectively these measures will address the deep-rooted issues driving this environmental disaster.
