Air pollution would be the bigger issue in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls than the demand for statehood for Delhi, said Union Minister and BJP leader Vijay Goel here on Friday.
According to Mr. Goel, PM2.5 and PM10 levels in Delhi had crossed the mark of 400, yet funds of ₹1,200 crore meant for a “clean environment” are “lying idle” with the government.
To highlight the pollution issues, Mr. Goel had taken out a 7 km cycle rally from east Delhi’s Laxmi Nagar on Friday with scores of party workers. Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Mr. Goel said he would hold morning meetings at local parks with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) in furtherance of the cause.
10,000 die every year
“According to a study, 10,000 people die every year in Delhi alone and the city ranks first among the 1,600 polluted cities in the world. Instead of the demand for full statehood, rising pollution in the Capital should be the major issue in the upcoming polls,” Mr. Goel said.
“I will hold cycle rallies and park meetings to inform the common people about how Mr. Kejriwal had left them to die due to pollution by taking no remedial action in this regard… pollution is the real issue in Delhi; full statehood is just an eyewash by Mr. Kejriwal as he was unable to deliver on his promises,” the BJP leader alleged.
Mr. Goel argued that executive powers regarding issues falling under departments like environment, education, transport, and unauthorised colonies were vested with the Delhi government. “If Mr. Kejriwal could not deliver in these areas, why should he be given powers of full statehood?” he asked. “Be it industrial smog, vehicles or road dust, Mr. Kejriwal had failed to act on these major contributors of pollution. He could not hoodwink the people by implementing the odd-even scheme which anyway failed to make an impact,” he added.
