A day after Diwali, political parties expressed their concern over the deteriorating air quality in the city.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said that pollution levels were less compared to last year, but admitted that more needs to be done to prevent the Capital from turning into a “gas chamber”.
“Despite the ban on crackers there were some areas where many were burst. There have also been reports of some politicians from the BJP distributing crackers to residents,” said senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh.
He added that several volunteers of the AAP had weeks ago started awareness campaigns in their wards to discourage people from bursting crackers.
“Diwali was traditionally a festival of lights, firecrackers not only ruin the environment but also cause severe health problems. Every year, our aim should be to move a step away from crackers till none are burst anywhere in the city,” said Mr. Singh.
A senior Delhi government official said that anti-crackers campaigns were held with the help of eco clubs at schools and colleges.
“The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) also constituted teams to check the ban on sale of crackers as per the Supreme Court orders. The teams visited all the districts of Delhi, specifically the major cracker markets, before Diwali for several days,” the official said.
‘Govt. must do more’
Former AAP leader Yogendra Yadav’s party Swaraj India, however, reacted strongly against the pollution in the city a day after Diwali.
“If the pollution levels have suddenly spiked in the Capital after Diwali then it is understood that firecrackers have contributed towards it. If people have burst crackers despite a ban on these, then laxity has been shown in controlling its sale. These things do not happen in a day, the government needs to persistently work towards creating awareness on the harmful effects of cracker burning,” said Mr. Yadav.
