New Delhi [India], December 20 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi MCD Sah-Prabhari Praveen Kumar alleged that long queues of vehicles at toll plazas run by the BJP-led Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) were worsening the capital's air pollution, despite clear Supreme Court directions to shut them down.

He said that after inspecting several toll plazas, the MCD Health Committee found that traffic congestion and fuel emissions were significantly adding to pollution levels.

Addressing the press conference, Praveen Kumar stated, 'The Health Committee has taken the issue of increasing pollution caused by toll plazas very seriously. Committee members Vijay Kumar, Shivani Panchal, Jalaj Kumar, and Roshan Lal had earlier found during inspections that traffic jams caused by toll tax collection are leading to a sharp rise in pollution. The committee will once again visit the toll plazas and place before the people of Delhi the reality of how these toll plazas have become dangerous for the city's air and for people's breathing.'

Meanwhile, MCD Sah-Prabhari Preeti Dogra stated, 'Health Committee members found during their visits that long queues of vehicles form at toll plazas, and due to traffic congestion, smoke emitted from vehicles further worsens pollution. This is causing breathing problems for the elderly and children and increasing their illnesses. Yet, it is unclear what the BJP government actually wants.'

Referring to public distress, Preeti Dogra continued, 'People are sharing the condition of their air filters on social media and appealing to CM Rekha Gupta to make Delhi breathable. Many people are being forced to leave Delhi due to pollution because the current Rekha Gupta government has failed to manage it. At times, the BJP Chief Minister talks about measuring pollution through temperature, and at other times issues orders to shut down tandoors, which is completely absurd.'

Highlighting past measures, she said that when the BJP has no answers, it shifts the blame to the previous government, even though the Arvind Kejriwal government introduced electric buses, planted trees, and implemented measures such as the odd-even formula. 'Today, the situation has worsened, and fires keep breaking out at the Ghazipur garbage mountain, releasing toxic gases that are sending lakhs of people to hospitals,' she said.

Calling out the government's intent, Preeti Dogra asserted, 'The BJP government must stop making excuses and hollow slogans and take serious action. When even the Supreme Court has said that MCD toll plazas should be shut, why is the government not closing them? The tandoors of the poor have been shut down, but contractors' toll plazas remain open, which clearly shows corruption and the government's bad intentions.'

On the other hand, AAP leader and Health Committee member Jalaj Kumar stated that the MCD Health Committee has received numerous complaints that toll plazas remain open despite court orders.

'All committee members have visited several toll plazas and will continue visiting other locations. Unfortunately, the work that the BJP mayor and ministers should have done in the public interest is now being done by us. When the AAP government was in power, trees were washed and water was sprayed to eliminate pollution even before December. Today, the BJP has a so-called 'four-engine government' that includes the Mayor, Commissioner, Lieutenant Governor (LG), CM, and full support of the central government. Yet, Delhi is struggling with extremely dangerous pollution,' Jalaj Kumar said.

Pointing to the absence, he said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Oman, and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is also outside the country, while the Aam Aadmi Party is on the streets fighting for the common people. 'We are visiting toll plazas and garbage dumping sites where fires are being lit, but the current mayor is not stepping out of the house for inspections, and BJP ministers are nowhere to be seen,' he said.

Highlighting policy failure, Jalaj Kumar said that despite the implementation of GRAP IV, construction work is continuing unchecked.

'On one hand, firecrackers were allowed during peak pollution, and on the other, Rs 30 crore of public tax money was wasted in the name of artificial rain, yet no rain occurred. This clearly shows that the BJP has no solution to this problem, but only 'jumle' (empty rhetoric). The court had clearly stated that it does not want revenue that results in people's deaths. Delhi is facing medical emergency-like conditions, the elderly cannot step out, schools are shut for children, and work from home is being advised. Despite this, toll plazas remain open, leading to a huge difference between the Air Quality Index (AQI) at toll plazas and the general AQI,' Jalaj Kumar said.

He asserted, 'If the BJP government does not work in the public interest, then whether it has four engines or 400 engines makes no difference. Health Committee members will continue visiting toll plazas and will expose this fake government that is violating court orders and indulging in hollow talk instead of working for the people of Delhi.' (ANI)