Delhi Env min praises residents for controlling pollution by lighting diyas

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Friday expressed gratitude to Delhiites for "largely refraining from bursting firecrackers" on Diwali, which helped prevent the city's air quality index (AQI) from slipping into the 'severe' category.

"Thanks to the responsible actions of many residents who avoided using firecrackers, we managed to avoid a severe AQI reading," Rai said.

However, he said that while most residents adhered to the ban, some still burst crackers, and the air quality could have improved further if the ban had been completely adhered to.

In a continued push to maintain the air quality in national capital, the government launched a special dust-control campaign on Diwali.

 

Rai said two mobile smog guns were deployed in each Assembly constituency, actively spraying water on roads to minimise dust and further mitigate pollution levels.

Delhi's air quality, recently classified as "Very Poor," showed signs of improvement this Diwali, with Environment Minister Gopal Rai attributing the positive change to the responsible actions of residents who chose to light diyas instead of bursting firecrackers.

Rai said, "People had predicted that there would be a rise in the level of air pollution in Delhi on the next day of Diwali, but we can see that the pollution level has remained under control. This is the success of the collective efforts of the people of Delhi and all departments."

He also congratulated Delhi residents for acting responsibly by lighting diyas instead of bursting firecrackers, which contributed to controlling pollution levels. He added, "I congratulate the people of Delhi for acting as responsible citizens by lighting diyas and not bursting crackers, and contributing towards controlling the pollution levels. I hope by next year we will be able to make those who burst firecrackers also understand this. From today, we are increasing the sprinkling of water across Delhi to control air pollution levels...Firecrackers were not burst on a large scale, this indicates the changing mindset of the people of Delhi..."

To further combat air pollution, the government announced an increase in water sprinkling across the city. Truck-mounted water sprinklers have been deployed in the national capital, and water was also sprayed through anti-smog guns near the Akbar Road area to improve air quality.

While the government aims to enhance pollution control measures, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for allegedly misleading the public about the sources of pollution. As the city continues to battle air quality challenges, the debate over the effectiveness of government policies remains a focal point.

Khandelwal said, "Arvind Kejriwal and AAP leaders want to mislead people on the issue of air pollution in Delhi. By banning firecrackers on the occasion of Hindu festivals under the pretext of air pollution, they want to prove that air pollution in Delhi is due to firecrackers. This is completely wrong." He added that the AAP government has not taken any steps to reduce pollution in Delhi in the last 10 years.