Delhi minister pins blame on AAP as smog worsens and AQI data vanishes
Delhi minister pins blame on AAP as smog worsens and AQI data vanishes
Delhi's air quality debate heats up as missing AQI updates spark questions, with a minister accusing AAP amid protests at India Gate.
Delhi's air quality has worsened, and a political blame game has erupted as environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa pointed the finger at the Aam Aadmi Party over pollution. He told reporters that protests are a civic right, but accused the AAP of leaving a mess behind after ten years in power. He said that protests help the government reflect on its duties and suggested those protesting at India Gate could have demonstrated at Jantar Mantar instead.
Speaking at an air quality monitoring site in Anand Vihar, Sirsa reiterated his accusation that the AAP left Delhi with ten years of filth and criticized the protest activity as a reflection of governance gaps. Meanwhile, the latest official AQI data was not visible on the app since noon on Monday, November 10, with the reading at that time at 345 in the very poor category. The CPCB said it stopped publishing AQI readings on its app and website after 12:15 pm due to a technical glitch, with officials indicating the system would likely be restored by 6 pm.
City watchers say air quality has become a flashpoint for political messaging as Delhiites grapple with health impacts, especially children. The minister's remarks come as residents await Reliable data to guide protective actions and as authorities work to restore data feeds from monitoring stations, including Anand Vihar. With the data gap and protests in the mix, the capital faces a test of accountability and governance on air quality. Residents will be watching how the administration responds to both pollution and the technical hiccups in reporting the numbers.
Cover image source: Watch: People in Delhi fret over health issues in ‘Very Poor’ AQI 🔗
