AQI crosses 450; no stubble burning, yet Delhi chokes inside closed rooms: Saurabh Bharadwaj

New Delhi: Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj on Sunday expressed grave concern over the worsening air pollution in the national capital, stating that despite nearly a year of the new government being in office, the situation has deteriorated to an alarming extent, leaving Delhiites helpless and without credible leadership on the issue.

During a media interaction, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj stated, “December is already half over and the BJP government has completed almost one year. Today, there is no stubble burning anywhere in the country, not in Punjab, not in Haryana, not anywhere else. Yet the level of pollution is such that even if you are inside a closed room, there is haze all around and smog is visible even inside rooms.”

The AAP Delhi Unit Chief said the most unfortunate aspect of the crisis was the complete absence of confidence among people about who would take responsibility and act decisively. “What is even more tragic is that the people of Delhi do not know whom to look towards with the hope that something will be done. Should they look towards a Chief Minister who cannot even pronounce AQI properly,” he said.

Highlighting a lack of basic understanding at the highest level, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “This is the Chief Minister who says that AQI and temperature are the same thing. This is the Chief Minister who says that AQI can be measured by any instrument. This is the Chief Minister who claims that there is only one way to reduce AQI and that is by sprinkling water.”

He warned that such thinking at the helm of the national capital is deeply damaging. “Just imagine, with such a Chief Minister in Delhi, the capital of the country, what hope can anyone have that she will be able to do anything over the next four years. This is extremely unfortunate,” he said.

Calling for a course correction, the AAP Delhi State President said professional expertise must guide policy, not ignorance. “I believe that experts should come forward, and the Chief Minister should step back a little,” Saurabh Bharadwaj said.