Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva on Tuesday claimed that there has been no major negative impact on the air quality of the city despite the use of firecrackers during Diwali a day earlier.
He also accused AAP leader like Saurabh Bharadwaj of blaming firecrackers for the spike in pollution, alleging that they just spread confusion among the public.
Sachdeva mentioned that on the morning of October 31 last year, the day after Diwali, the national capital had recorded an AQI (air quality index) of 396, but on October 21 this year — the morning after Diwali — the city’s average AQI stands at 356.
He further said that it is true that pollution levels in Delhi have risen during the past few days, however, claimed that reports of stubble burning in Punjab have also started coming in during the past two to three days before the pollution rise began on October 17.
Sachdeva added that AQI usually rises every winter.
He added that although Punjab’s farmers have been troubled by floods this year, now that the floodwaters have receded, they are working to clear their fields, which includes burning stubble.
According to the BJP leader, between October 11 and October 19, a total of 309 major stubble burning incidents were registered in neighbouring Punjab.
—————————————————————–