AAP govt should take up responsibility of depleting air quality in Delhi: Gautam Gambhir
New Delhi, Nov 03 (HS): Former cricketer and Bharatiya Janata Party MP from East Delhi, Gautam Gambhir attended the Chhath Puja celebrations organised by Purvanchal Utkarsh Samity near New Kondli at Mayur Vihar Phase-3.
The four-day celebrations of Chhath Puja concluded this morning with devotees offering prayers to the rising sun in different parts of the country. After offering prayers to Sun God, devotees broke their 36-hour fast and Prasad was distributed among the people. Devotees had started gathering at Ghats of various rivers, ponds and water reservoirs across the country.
To a query about the air quality in Delhi NCR which is now at the severe-plus level and has become ‘hazardous’, Gambhir hit out at the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asking him what measures his government has taken to tackle the problem of pollution in the national capital in the last four and a half years apart from spending money on advertisings.
He further said, “Delhi is still like a gas chamber. The problem of pollution in Delhi affects me and my family as much as it affects you all. The Chief Minister should go out to see how many construction sites are covered. EDMC bought 52 super machines for Rs 70 crore to curb pollution and the DDA did largest tree plantation. Delhi is choking. Will he (Kejriwal) now honestly tell Delhi what he has done for curbing pollution or will he just do press conferences.”
“The crores of money which were spent on advertising, if they were spent on controlling pollution then Delhi would have been able to breathe properly,” Gambhir added. The 37-year-old further stated that the party in power (AAP) should take up the responsibility of depleting air quality in Delhi.
On Sunday, people residing in the national capital and its nearby areas such as Ghaziabad and Noida were forced to breath hazardous air as Air Quality Index (AQI) reached above 950, which falls in the severe plus category, according to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).
Greeting the people, Gambhir said, “Chhath is festival of purity and devotion to the Sun God, who is the source of life and all energy”. He also said that the devotees especially the women who observe fast without even taking water pay oblation to the setting sun and the rising sun, is indeed a testimony to the sheer devotion, dedication of the devotees to the Sun God.
He also hailed the organiser for putting in best possible arrangements at the venue which has virtually transformed in to a sea of humanity. He also expressed happiness over the fact that people belonging to all sections of the society have turned to observe Chhath Puja which involves holy bathing, fasting and standing in water for long periods of time, and offering prayers and arghya to the setting and rising sun. He also said that the puja is dedicated to Sun God who sustains life on the earth and symbolizes fellow feelings.
