BJP says AAP's failure to repair damaged roads, not Diwali crackers, worsened Delhi pollution

New Delhi: The BJP on Friday claimed Delhi's air quality had worsened due to AAP and Arvind Kejriwal's failure to repair the city's damaged roads by October 31 and not the firecrackers burst on Diwali.

Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, who visited the Shastri Park area on Friday, claimed hundreds of roads in the city were lying in disrepair despite promises by former chief minister Kejriwal and his successor Atishi to repair them before Diwali.

"AAP should stop indulging in politics and blame game and focus on local sources of pollution such as dust that are more responsible for the hazardous air quality in Delhi," Gupta said.

He said the air pollution situation in Delhi was as bad as it was before Diwali and added that AAP and Kejriwal should stop "misleading" the people.

They said the rise in pollution was due to the firecrackers, indulging in politics over the issue, he charged.

"If all the damaged roads in the city are repaired and sanitation is improved, pollution can be cut down by 50 per cent," he asserted.

The BJP's Delhi unit spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor claimed that comparative Air Quality Index (AQI) data from the past four days would show that pollution levels had not increased due to firecrackers.

The local sources and paddy stubble burning will cause it to shoot up in the coming days, he said.

A thick layer of haze blanketed Delhi, with the national capital's AQI plunging to 362 on Friday as people defied a citywide ban on firecrackers during Diwali celebrations.

Delhi also recorded its most polluted Diwali in three years.

On Diwali on Thursday, the city's 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 330, compared to 218 in 2023 and 312 in 2022, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

The national capital's AQI was recorded in the 'very poor' category with a reading of 362 at 9 am on Friday.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', 401 and 450 'severe' and above 450 'severe plus'.