Distributing pollution masks to 'awaken sleeping Kejriwal govt': Tiwari

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari on Sunday distributed anti-pollution masks among people at Central Park in Connaught Place, alleging Kejriwal government has failed to check air pollution in the city as it "works in advertisements".

Tiwari also charged that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is seeking credit abroad for for bringing down pollution whereas Modi government has done ground level works for this.

The AAP termed mask distribution by Tiwari as "drama" and asked him to help Delhi by stopping crop stubble burning in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana ruled by the BJP.

A layer of haze lingered over the national capital on Sunday as its air quality index (AQI) deteriorated further and touched the 245 mark, which falls in the poor category

"Kejriwal government has completely failed to check air pollution in Delhi. We are giving away masks to awaken the sleeping Kejriwal government which works only in advertisements," Tiwari said.

 

He claimed that Delhi people including school children have been forced to wear masks to save them from pollution, and alleged the government has left them to fend for themselves.

AAP's spokesperson Raghav Chadha hit back, saying the Delhi BJP headed by Tiwari is a "drama company" which indulges in non-serious theatrics,

"Had Delhi BJP been serious in tackling air pollution, it would have prevailed on state governments run by its party in Delhi's neighbourhood, particularly Haryana & UP to ensure that stubble burning from these states does not choke Delhi," he said.

Instead of doing so, Tiwari was indulging in a "drama" while his party's government at the Centre is in "deep slumber" and has done nothing to prevail upon states to prevent stubble burning, Chadha alleged..

On Saturday, Kejriwal said smoke from crop residue burning in neighbouring states has started reaching Delhi and the air quality has started deteriorating.

The Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research said smoke from stubble burning will make up six per cent of Delhi's pollution by October 15.