AAP alleges STP emitting smoke amid curbs, BJP says it's steam

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday accused the BJP-led Delhi government of failing to enforce GRAP-IV anti-pollution measures strictly. They alleged that a brick-manufacturing unit was operating inside the Delhi government-run Kondli Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and emitting thick smoke despite the restrictions.AAP’s Delhi state president Saurabh Bharadwaj shared a video on social media platform X on Sunday, claiming it showed smoke billowing from the alleged brick plant functioning within the Kondli STP premises. He said the visuals exposed what he termed the government’s hollow claims of strict enforcement under GRAP-IV.

The video stemmed from an on-ground inspection by Kondli MLA Kuldeep Kumar. He alleged that SSP Private Limited's sludge management unit was functioning inside Delhi Jal Board (DJB) premises, manufacturing bricks from STP sludge waste.

“Despite GRAP-IV applying across Delhi, thick smoke was clearly visible from the plant,” Kumar claimed. He said he reprimanded staff on site and ordered an immediate shutdown.

Smoke from DJB plants in Kondli and Mayur Vihar Phase-3 was affecting nearby areas including Mayur Vihar Phase-3, Kondli, Kalyanpuri, Khichripur, and Vasundhara Enclave, leaving residents struggling to breathe, he added.

AAP demanded action from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), including notices, heavy fines and blacklisting of the company for GRAP-IV violations.

Responding to the allegations, the Delhi BJP dismissed the claims as misleading and politically motivated. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the facility in question was an essential and modern sludge treatment unit that is permitted to operate even during peak pollution periods.

He said Saurabh Bharadwaj himself had inaugurated the Kondli STP in 2023 while serving as a minister and had categorised it as an essential facility, allowing it to function during winter pollution periods in 2023 and 2024.

“Modern STPs and sludge units emit only steam, which may resemble smoke but is not,” Sachdeva said. Such plants are permitted under GRAP-IV, he added, accusing AAP leaders like Kuldeep Kumar of misrepresenting facts to target the BJP-led government.