The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is pulling out all the stops to tackle Delhi’s pollution, while the BJP remains fixated on playing politics instead of solving the issue. Delhi CM Atishi highlighted that, according to central government data, AAP government’s efforts have halved stubble burning in Punjab, but incidents continue to rise in BJP-ruled Haryana and UP.
While Delhi transitions to electric buses, diesel buses from these states continue to pollute the capital. Moreover, industrial waste from Haryana and UP is choking the Yamuna River. In response, to make Yamuna foam-free, the AAP government is starting the spraying of silicon-based food grade defoamer, which reduces the pollution of the Yamuna.
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi and senior AAP leader and ex-Water Minister Satyendar Jain held a joint press conference at the party headquarters on Sunday. The Delhi Chief Minister said that the level of pollution is increasing in Delhi. Along with air pollution, the level of pollution in Yamuna has also increased in the last few days. The way foam is forming at Kalindi Kunj is proof that the level of pollution in Yamuna is increasing.
Revealing the factors behind the rise in pollution, Delhi Chief Minister continued, “Today I want to tell all Delhiites that the real reason for the increase in air and water pollution in Delhi is the dirty politics of BJP. Today every Delhiite knows that an important reason for the increase in winter pollution in Delhi is the stubble burning. On one side is the AAP’s Punjab government which has reduced the incidents of stubble burning with continuous efforts for 2 years.”
“The figures of the central government itself show that before the formation of the AAP government in Punjab, there were 71,300 incidents of stubble burning in 2021. But due to the incessant efforts of the AAP’s Punjab government, they reduced by 50% in 2 years and last year in 2023, only 36,600 incidents of stubble burning were reported,” she shared.
CM Atishi shared that the Central Government’s Indian Agricultural Research Institute, PUSA (IARI) presents the data of stubble burning every day. These figures show that from October 1 to October 15, 2023, 1123 incidents of farm fire (stubble burning) were reported in Punjab, which has decreased by 27% to 811 this year.
“On the other hand, if we look at these figures in BJP-ruled Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, last year this figure was 341 in Haryana, which has increased by 23% to 417 this year. In UP, 244 incidents of stubble burning were reported from October 1 to October 15 last year, which has increased by 70% to 417. These figures show the dirty politics of BJP,” she mentioned.
The Delhi CM reasoned that if the AAP’s Punjab government can reduce the incidents of stubble burning, then why can’t the BJP’s Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments do so. Because the BJP is playing dirty politics with the people of Delhi.
CM Atishi shared that this morning she went to Anand Vihar bus station, where the pollution is the highest. All the buses in Delhi run on electric and CNG. Today, there is not a single diesel bus in Delhi. Delhi’s bus fleet has more than 2000 electric buses. “On the other hand, 100% of the buses from UP and Haryana, from where interstate buses come to Delhi, are still diesel buses. This is an important reason for the increase in pollution in Anand Vihar,” she highlighted.
The Chief Minister pointed out that the nearby Kaushambi bus station of UP, where thousands of diesel buses come every day. “The AAP government in Delhi, under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, has set up a fleet of electric buses. Today, Delhi has such a large fleet of CNG buses. Why couldn’t the governments of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh do all this? Because they want to do dirty politics with the people of Delhi,” she reasoned.
CM Atishi further said that brick kilns are continuously increasing the pollution level. There is not a single brick kiln in Delhi but there are 3,800 brick kilns in the NCR areas of Haryana-Uttar Pradesh. Due to which pollution is continuously increasing in Delhi and surrounding areas. But the BJP government of UP and Haryana did not take any steps to stop the pollution of these brick kilns.
“The thermal power plants also spread a lot of pollution. Under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, all thermal power plants were closed to curb pollution in Delhi, but in UP and Haryana, BJP runs 9 highly polluting thermal power plants. Because they want to trouble the people of Delhi,” she asserted.
The Delhi CM said, “Just like pollution is being spread in the air, similarly pollution is being spread in the water. BJP leaders are going to Kalindi Kunj and getting their photographs taken, saying that foam is being formed here. But the truth is that this foam is formed in Yamuna because the industrial areas of Haryana release 165 MGD of polluted water into Yamuna through Badshahpur Drain, Mungeshpur Drain, DD-6. On the other hand, the BJP government of UP releases 55 MGD of polluted water through Sahibabad Drain and Indrapuri Drain.”
Hitting out at the BJP, CM Atishi affirmed that as soon as BJP comes to know that the festival season is coming, the time of Chhath Puja is coming, they close the gate of Kalindi Kunj Barrage so that all the dirty water comes to Delhi. But the AAP is still finding a solution under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal and we have worked to reduce this foam with silicon based food grade defoamer. This de-foaming will start again from tonight because no matter how dirty politics BJP does, the AAP and Arvind Kejriwal will keep working for the people of Delhi.
CM Atishi stated, “I want to fold my hands in front of BJP and Delhiites. We know that BJP hates Arvind Kejriwal, hates AAP, but while hating us, do not hate the people of Delhi. I want to assure Delhiites that no matter how dirty politics BJP’s UP-Haryana government does, we have been finding some solution for the people of Delhi, whether it is water pollution or air pollution, and will continue to do so.”
“Whether we have to plead before the Central Government or go to the Supreme Court, we have been solving the problems of the people of Delhi and will continue to do so in the future as well,” assured the Delhi Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, senior AAP leader and Delhi’s ex-Water Minister Satyendar Jain stated that these days there’s a lot of discussion about pollution in the Yamuna River in Delhi. Several BJP leaders go there for photo shoots and display those pictures in different places. Arvind Kejriwal had said that we would clean the Yamuna, and work had already begun on a war footing to clean the river.
The ex-Delhi Water Minister affirmed, “When the work started, the BJP realized that the Yamuna would actually be cleaned before the next election. So, the BJP first arrested me because Arvind Kejriwal had given me the responsibility of cleaning the Yamuna. Later, Arvind Kejriwal was also arrested. The reason was that the BJP had failed to clean the Ganga themselves but knew that the AAP would succeed in Yamuna’s cleaning in Delhi.”
Satyendar Jain further said that the Badshahpur drain flows into the Najafgarh drain in Delhi. The Badshahpur drain comes from Haryana, and Delhi has no major industries of its own. The industrial waste from Haryana flows through the Badshahpur drain, which then contaminates the Najafgarh drain and eventually the Yamuna River.
“Two types of waste enter the Yamuna—first, human waste, through the sewage, which is not very dangerous, and second, industrial waste, which does not originate in Delhi. This industrial waste either comes from Uttar Pradesh through the Shahdara drain, which contributes around 55 MGD (million gallons per day), or from the Badshahpur drain and DD-3, combining to add around 150-175 MGD of hazardous industrial waste into the Yamuna,” he added.
“We had started the task of fully cleaning the Yamuna and its associated drains in Delhi, but to stop this work, the BJP had me and Arvind Kejriwal arrested,” asserted the senior AAP leader.
Satyendar Jain questioned why the foam in the Yamuna only appears during Chhath Puja. “The foam doesn’t form on its own, and there are two reasons for it. First, the industrial waste coming from Haryana and UP contains hazardous chemicals, which causes foam in the Yamuna. The second reason is that there are twelve gates at Kalindi Kunj, controlled by UP’s irrigation department. They keep most of the gates closed, opening only two or three. If they opened all the gates, the foam in the Yamuna would disappear by tomorrow,” he reasoned.
Taking potshots at the BJP, the ex-Delhi Minister stated that but then, how would they do their photo shoots? After Chhath and Diwali, the foam will vanish. BJP is doing all this just for drama. The AAP will clean the Yamuna and also reduce air pollution in Delhi.
The senior AAP leader pointed out that Delhi is around 1,000 kilometers away from Varanasi. If you compare the pollution data of the last three years between Delhi and Varanasi, Delhi’s pollution is lower than Varanasi’s.
“There are 3,000 brick kilns around Delhi contributing to the pollution. The AAP government shut down all thermal power plants in Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal had said that no matter how expensive electricity gets, there would be no thermal power plants running in Delhi. We shut them down, but they didn’t, because then where would the pollution in Delhi come from?” He reasoned.
“The BJP is engaging in dirty politics and is not concerned with pollution; they only care about drama. Jain emphasized that no matter what tricks the BJP tries, Arvind Kejriwal and all AAP leaders are determined to complete all the works of Delhiites,” concluded Satyendar Jain.