New Delhi: Delhi, India's capital city, has been grappling with a surge in pollution levels over the past two days, with only a slight improvement recorded today. The Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi reached alarming levels, exceeding 450 on the scale. To address the escalating pollution concerns, the Graded Response Action Plan Phase 3 (GRAP3) has been activated, leading to the suspension of construction activities and an increase in water sprinkling to mitigate the crisis.
However, the political feud between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has been reignited over the issue of smog towers in Delhi. The Environment Minister of Delhi, Gopal Rai, has accused the BJP of misleading the public and conspiring to close smog towers. On January 13, 2020, the Supreme Court had issued an order for the installation of two smog towers in Delhi, one in Connaught Place by the Delhi Government and another in Anand Vihar by the Central Government.
So, why were these smog towers closed? The Delhi government had approved a budget of Rs 25 crore for the establishment of smog towers. The inauguration of the smog tower in Delhi took place in August 2021, with studies conducted by IIT-Bombay and IIT Delhi to assess their efficacy. These smog towers were operational, and ongoing studies were examining their impact. However, things took a turn when Ashwini Kumar was appointed as the Chairman of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). Under his leadership, the Real Time Pollution Study Center was shut down, and payments for smog tower operation and management, totaling 2 crore rupees, were halted. This has raised suspicions of whether Ashwini Kumar, who was appointed by the Central Government, was tasked with curbing pollution studies and closing smog towers in Delhi.
In response to these developments, the AAP has accused the BJP and the Central Government of obstructing the Delhi Pollution Study Center and smog towers. Gopal Rai, the Environment Minister of Delhi, has written a letter to the Lieutenant Governor (LG), urging strict action against the officials responsible and requesting the reactivation of the smog towers. Moreover, Gopal Rai has pointed fingers at Uttar Pradesh, alleging a deliberate effort to send "polluted buses" to Delhi. He also criticized the Haryana government for not imposing a ban on firecrackers, unlike Delhi.
The ongoing battle between political parties in Delhi over pollution control measures, smog towers, and inter-state cooperation will likely persist as the city grapples with its worsening pollution crisis.
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