Mayor more focused on press meets rather than handling pollution: LoP
Delhi’s Leader of the Opposition in the Municipal Corporation, Raja Iqbal Singh criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for its handling of the pollution crisis, attributing the dramatic rise in pollution levels to the party’s governance.
Mayor highlights key pollution challenges
- Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi addressed the pressing issue of air pollution in the city during a press conference on Friday, identifying three major factors requiring urgent attention: illegal construction and demolition waste dumping, open biomass burning, and dust generated from roads.
- “Every year, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) undertakes various measures to combat pollution, and this year we have formed 372 surveillance teams consisting of 1,295 officers who are working day and night to monitor the situation,” Oberoi stated.
“The AAP government has completely failed in controlling pollution. Delhi’s citizens are currently struggling with pollution while the Mayor is busy with mere formalities,” he said. He emphasised that while citizens are grappling with severe air quality issues, the Mayor appears more focused on press conferences and future planning rather than addressing the immediate crisis.
Singh highlighted the poor condition of Delhi’s roads, which he claims exacerbates pollution. “The potholes slow down vehicles, causing increased smoke pollution, and dust flies throughout the day,” he noted. “Actions to combat pollution should be conducted year-round, not just when the problem becomes dire,” he added.
The opposition leader pointed out that the Municipal Corporation lacks sufficient mechanical road sweeping machines, which has hindered effective dust removal from roads. “The Mayor admits there are only 52 mechanical road sweeping machines for approximately 15,000 km of roads under our jurisdiction,” he said, calling this figure indicative of AAP’s negligence in addressing pollution.
Meanwhile, the Mayor announced that zonal Deputy Commissioners have been appointed as nodal officers in pollution hotspots, with 612 sites registered with the Delhi Pollution Control Committee under continuous monitoring. "We have designated 106 sites for dumping construction and demolition waste, and out of these, 55 have been covered with barricading sheets to facilitate proper waste management," she explained.
