Today, as I pen this article, my city stands cloaked in a dense and grey shroud of smog and unfulfilled promises. This ritual of waking up to grey winter mornings has become an unwelcome norm, with each year worse than the last. Every year, Delhiites endure the endless press conferences from the chief minister of the AAP government, yet any tangible solution to this pollution crisis remains elusive.
Delhi has tragically earned the title of one of the most polluted cities in the world. This winter the air quality index of the city has consistently exceeded 400 µg/m³, reaching a record high of 500 µg/m³. With Diwali firecrackers off the table as an excuse, the AAP government seems at a loss, scrambling to justify its inactions. Chief Minister Atishi held several press conferences, an exercise she seems to excel at, and sought to cast blame elsewhere but failed to offer either accountability or solutions.
Before March 2022, Arvind Kejriwal frequently held press conferences, blaming the stubble burning in Punjab for the pollution crisis in Delhi. His assurance was clear: If the AAP ruled Punjab, the issue would be resolved. Now, in the second winter since the AAP formed government in Punjab, both farm fires and Delhi’s pollution have only worsened.
Until a few years ago, Delhiites witnessed measures like the ‘odd and even scheme’ and the much hyped ‘smog tower’, constructed at an enormous cost of about Rs23 crore. Then came the so called ‘anti-smog guns’, essentially water sprinklers mounted on diesel trucks, which ironically added to the pollution they were meant to combat. All these gimmicks have since been abandoned. This year, the AAP government, it seems, intends to combat the air pollution using a barrage of press conferences.
Once the soul of Delhi, the Yamuna now stands as a testament to the failures of the AAP government. For the last decade, we have heard nothing but repeated promises and grand plans to clean the Yamuna, yet the situation only worsens every year. Untreated sewage, industrial waste and garbage continue to be routinely dumped into its waters. The AAP government remains complacent, offering no solutions or plan of action to address this situation.
Delhi’s infrastructure is in such a deplorable state that even the tap water reaching people’s homes is not immune to pollution. Complaints are frequent about sewage mixing with the water supply, resulting in black, foul-smelling water coming from taps. In one shocking case, blue water was being supplied to homes, raising serious concerns about what it was contaminated with.
And the answer from the AAP government to the water pollution issues? You guessed it: more press conferences by Atishi. But what was more funny was when she and her colleagues tried to blame Uttar Pradesh for Delhi’s pollution. Clearly they missed the memo that Yamuna flows from Delhi into Uttar Pradesh. The AAP’s failure to understand basic river flow dynamics only adds to its growing list of incompetence.
Delhi deserves better then broken promises and ineffective governance. The people of Delhi need a decisive government, one which takes responsibility and works with urgency. The future of Delhi depends on the upcoming elections and it is time for people to vote for a change. Delhi bahane nahi badlav chahati hai. Press conferences nahi, saaf pani aur hava chathi hai [Delhi doesn’t need excuses, but change. Not press conferences, but clean water and air].
Bansuri Swaraj is a Lok Sabha MP from New Delhi.