Blaming others should not be ‘alibi’ for gross inaction over years, politics can wait: Delhi L-G

New Delhi: Even as the air quality in the national capital remained in ‘severe’ category on Thursday, the Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena hit out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi and Punjab, saying that “blaming others should not be an alibi for gross inaction over years and publicity around props like smog towers mean little”.

He alleged that the AAP government was indulging in propaganda politics that involve overhyped events like ‘Red Light On, Gaadi Off’ and ‘Odd-Even’ which cannot hold the life of people of the city to ransom.

The L-G said: “Nothing concrete after the implementation of CNG in Delhi and construction of a maze of flyovers since then, has been attempted and Delhi needs action, not mere posturing. Let’s do it, politics can wait.”

In a series of posts on X, Saxena added, “We can do little to stop crop residue smoke from other states, apart from pleading with them. Despite states, especially Punjab playing truant, we are, but petitioners for mercy. The Air Quality Index yet hovers around 400, making the capital gasp.”

The L-G said, “Crackers certainly add to the menace. The most affected in this gas chamber are those who commute on roads to earn their daily earning. The poor and the hapless living in slums and unauthorised colonies whose lungs are frying because they can’t afford to sit at home and buy air purifiers.”

He opined that the “real solution” to pollution in Delhi lies in “Delhi itself”.

“We can mitigate the choking smog by reducing the dust that our unrepaired roads, unpaved pavements and construction sites cause. We can employ effective means to curb our vehicular emissions,” he added.

“Since the deadly smog in 2016, this has become a recurrent issue subjected to nothing but platitude and rhetoric,” Saxena added.

His remarks came after the air quality across Delhi remained in the ‘severe’ category with the AQI hitting the alarming levels at several places on Thursday morning.

The Anand Vihar station was in the ‘severe’ category with PM 2.5 at 500 and PM 10 at 459.

–IANS