BJP’s Sirsa blames AAP for pollution crisis, promises action before CAQM
New Delhi: The Delhi government on Tuesday announced that it will soon brief the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the Court on the ongoing and upcoming steps being taken to tackle air pollution in the national capital.
Addressing a joint press conference, Transport Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh and Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa held the previous AAP government responsible for Delhi’s worsening air quality, especially in relation to the unchecked operation of End-of-Life Vehicles (ELVs).
“This is not a matter of blame game but it is due to failure of the previous government to contain pollution,” said Singh. He pointed out that action against ELVs is in line with orders passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) since 2014 and a Supreme Court directive in 2018 banning 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles.
Echoing the same concerns, Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused the AAP government of repeated negligence. “The NGT had, as early as 2014, directed the deregistration and ban of vehicles older than 15 years (petrol) and 10 years (diesel) in Delhi due to rising pollution levels. These orders were repeatedly ignored by the then AAP-led state government,” he said. Sirsa also criticised the much-publicised odd-even scheme, calling it ineffective. “The NGT even noted that AAP’s odd-even schemes failed to improve Delhi’s air quality,” he added.
Citing comparative examples, he said, “Unlike other metro cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai or Bengaluru, such harsh vehicular restrictions became necessary only in Delhi. That’s because the previous regime failed to control pollution when it was still manageable.”
The ministers also listed current initiatives including anti-smog gun installations, road repairs, dust control measures, and clearing of landfill sites by 2027.
“We are fighting this battle with full force,” said Sirsa. “The disease that Arvind Kejriwal brought to Delhi, the city must now be freed from it.”
The Delhi government said it is committed to presenting all facts before CAQM, including enforcement updates and steps to improve air quality.
