Cong’s Dikshit slams AAP govt for failing to tackle air, water pollution

Sandeep Dikshit, Congress candidate from the New Delhi constituency in the forthcoming Assembly elections, slammed the AAP government for its failure to address air and water pollution in the Capital.

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Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Dikshit accused the Kejriwal government of neglecting these critical issues for the past decade.

Dikshit, who formerly served as a Member of Parliament, criticised the AAP government’s management of Delhi’s pollution levels, claiming that the toxic air and polluted water were a result of “mismanagement, incompetence and dishonesty.”

He pointed out that the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) fleet had dwindled from around 5,500 buses in 2013 to approximately 3,000 today. He argued that this decline in public transport had contributed significantly to the pollution in the city.

“The Kejriwal government has failed to increase the DTC fleet. Now, we have a serious issue with traffic congestion and air pollution,” Dikshit said.

He emphasised that while stubble burning had been blamed for Delhi’s air pollution, the main causes were the sharp rise in vehicles on the road and the erosion of the city’s green cover.

“Stubble burning has existed for decades, but the AQI still spikes to 300 or 400 because of the lack of a robust public transport system and poor planning,” Dikshit added.

Dikshit also highlighted the efforts of the previous Congress Government under Sheila Dikshit, saying it had made significant strides in reducing pollution.

“Between 1998 and 2013, the Congress Government increased the green cover, introduced CNG fuel for vehicles and expanded the Metro network. Daily ridership on DTC buses was 43 lakh passengers, but now it’s down to just 26 lakh,” he stated.

The Congress candidate further criticised the delayed expansion of the Metro, pointing out that the third phase, which was initiated under the Congress government, was behind schedule, and there was no clarity on the fourth phase.

“The current state of the Metro is just one example of Kejriwal’s failure to deliver,” Dikshit said.

Turning to the issue of water pollution, Dikshit raised concerns about the Yamuna river, which he described as “the most polluted stretch in the world.” He accused the AAP government of failing to set up adequate sewage treatment plants, despite Kejriwal’s promises to clean the river by 2025.

“Kejriwal’s claims are nothing but empty promises,” Dikshit remarked.

Dikshit said Delhi voters were increasingly dissatisfied with the AAP’s handling of air and water pollution. “People of Delhi are now looking to the Congress for real solutions to these crises,” he asserted.