Delhi air turning into ‘gas chamber’, DPCC chief targets BJP govt

NEW DELHI: Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) President Devender Yadav expressed grave concern over the steadily high levels of pollution in the national capital, holding the BJP-led Delhi government responsible for its failure to devise and implement an effective strategy to counter the toxic air.

Speaking on the issue, Yadav said that air pollution is a problem that persists in Delhi throughout the year, and the city often turns into a “gas chamber” because of a combination of smog and fog. Yadav also said that whenever the Air Quality Index exceeds 400, schools are asked to be closed as per GRAP-IV, but no long-term measures are taken to deal with the problem.

Pointing out the effect on children, Yadav said, “Approximately 18 lakh children are enrolled in Delhi’s government schools, and about 8 lakh children are enrolled in MCD primary schools. Children aged 0-10 years are the most affected, contributing to about 43 percent of pollution-related health effects, which is substantially higher than other age groups. People of all age groups are affected by the high levels of particulate matter like PM10 and PM2.5, and about eight percent of patients in hospitals are suffering from serious pollution-related illnesses.”

Yadav demanded that the Delhi government should immediately start medical check-ups for students studying in government and MCD schools. These medical check-ups, Yadav said, would help in the early detection of diseases caused by pollution and ensure that treatment is provided for free at government hospitals.

Yadav criticised the Rekha Gupta government for inaction on pollution, noting 27 of 37 Delhi AQI stations show values above 400, and urged resumption of free health checks for government

school students.