Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Saturday targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre over the issue of non-operation of a smog tower in Connaught Place as the city suffered “severe” air quality this week. Addressing a press conference, Gopal Rai said that the BJP leaders were going to the smog tower located at Connaught Place alleging that it was not working as the AQI rose in the city.
"...Last evening when Delhi's AQI level was going up, we saw several BJP leaders going to Connaught Place-located smog tower and making videos...I thought it was important for the people in Delhi to know under what conspiracy the smog tower in Delhi was shut and who did it,” he said.
Rai said two smog towers were supposed to be installed according to a Supreme Court order dated January 13, 2020. One was to be installed by the Centre in Anand Vihar while the other was to be installed by Delhi government on Connaught Place.
“In line with the Supreme Court order, Delhi cabinet decided on October 9, 2020, that it (smog tower) will be installed as a pilot project for two years. IIT Mumbai and Delhi were supposed to carry out scientific study on the performance capacity while Tata Project was appointed for construction,” said the Aam Aadmi Party leader.
After the cabinet's decision, installation process started at CP and in August 2021 the smog tower was inaugurated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and operation started, said Rai, adding that IIT Mumbai and Delhi submitted a half-yearly report which stated that the tower was effective in 500 metres radius and the study was going on.
“Amid this, breaching the tradition — till now the environment ministry secretary used to be the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) chairman — for the first time the Centre appointed Ashwini Kumar on special duty as DPCC chairman last year in December,” he said.
Using his superpower, Ashwani Kumar violated Supreme Court order and stopped the payment for the study of smog tower...Following this, the agencies stopped the study and the smog tower was shut,” Alleged Rai.
Delhi has been witnessing worsening air quality again this year: gradual drop in temperatures, calm winds that trap pollution, and an increase in stubble burning across Punjab and Haryana.
CPCB data revealed that the Air Quality Index in Delhi breached 200-mark between October 27 and November 3 while further increasing into the "severe plus" category (above 450) on Friday.