The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) staged a protest at the Delhi assembly premises on Tuesday, highlighting the rising air pollution and deteriorating AQI levels in the national capital. Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi assembly and AAP leader Atishi alleged that the BJP is “running away” from addressing the critical issue of pollution, accusing the ruling party of avoiding accountability and refusing to engage in meaningful discussions on the matter.
Speaking to reporters, Atishi drew attention to the severe public health impact of Delhi’s worsening air quality. She said young children are now “forced to take steroid inhalers,” major hospitals like AIIMS are filled with patients struggling to breathe, and senior citizens are facing life-threatening consequences due to pollution.She said, “The BJP-led Delhi government is running away from the issue of pollution. Pollution is the biggest problem in Delhi today. Young children can breathe only through steroid inhalers. Senior citizens are dying. The beds of AIIMS and every other big hospital in the city are filled with people who are not able to breathe. When AAP demands a discussion on pollution, the BJP offers excuses to avoid it. For the first time in history, in the assembly, the ruling party is protesting the opposition. The ruling party left the assembly as a sign of protest. Why is this drama happening?… The BJP wants to avoid discussing pollution because they have no answers.”Atishi further accused the Delhi government of “theatrics”, claiming that AQI data is being manipulated through water sprays and that the situation demands immediate legislative attention. “The whole country knows how the AQI monitors are being manipulated. Water is being sprayed to manipulate the readings. People are dying due to the pollution. We demand that this theatrics be stopped and a discussion on the issue of pollution be held immediately…,” she added.AAP MLAs had also staged a protest inside the Delhi Assembly on Monday, pressing for urgent policy measures and accountability on the capital’s air quality. Party leaders demanded stricter action to curb pollution, including controlling emissions from vehicles, industrial discharges, and stubble burning in neighbouring states.Meanwhile, several Indian cities, including Delhi, Mumbai and Guwahati, woke up to a layer of fog on Monday morning. Air quality varied from ‘poor’ to very poor’ category across several parts of the national capital, while several flights were delayed at the IGI Airport.According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi recorded AQI at 260 in the ‘Poor’ category by 8 am on Monday.Visuals from Akshardham showed the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 294, falling in the ‘poor’ category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCM). At ITO, the AQI was recorded at 256, categorised as ‘poor’, while Anand Vohar reported a sharper decline of 320, placing the area in the ‘very poor’ bracket.Chandni Chowk remained among the worst-affected areas, recording an AQI of 337, classified as ‘very poor’. Reduced visibility due to fog and smog disrupted flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, with several flights delayed in the early hours.Notably, in Delhi, the Sub-Committee on the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) under the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in the NCR and adjoining areas lifted Stage-III restrictions on Friday evening, citing significant air quality improvement due to favourable meteorological conditions. (ANI)
