New Delhi, Oct 19: BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala, on Saturday, visited the Yamuna River to highlight the growing pollution in Delhi ahead of Chhath Puja.

He criticised Arvind Kejriwal for failing to address the capital's environmental crisis during his ten-year tenure, urging citizens to say "No to Kejriwal" in the upcoming elections.

The BJP leader pointed out Kejriwal's unfulfilled promise of cleaning the Yamuna by 2025, stating, "Instead of being drinkable, the river has turned into poison. Seven thousand crore (Rupees) were wasted in corruption, and the AAP government did nothing to clean the Yamuna. This is an insult to the river and Sanatan Dharma."

Poonawala also expressed outrage over the deteriorating condition of the Yamuna ahead of Chhath Puja, calling it "a restriction on Hindu religious practices." He accused Kejriwal’s government of being "anti-Hindu and anti-Sanatan," alleging that their failure to fight pollution has made the air and water in Delhi toxic. "This is an insult to Sanatan Dharma," he remarked.

He further condemned the severe air pollution in the city: "Delhi has become a gas chamber. People are forced to wear masks, and pollution levels have crossed 350 AQI. Kejriwal used to blame Punjab’s stubble burning, but today he claims helplessness in addressing the issue. The real causes—vehicle emissions, road dust, and construction pollution—have been ignored for a decade."

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), as of 9 a.m. on Friday, Delhi's average AQI figure stood at 293. Meanwhile, in the surrounding NCR, Faridabad recorded an AQI of 194, Gurugram 196, Ghaziabad 247, Greater Noida 296, and Noida 242.

In several parts of Delhi, the AQI levels are hovering between 300 and 400, indicating severe pollution. Notable areas include Wazirpur (379), Vivek Vihar (327), Shadipur (337), Rohini (362), Punjabi Bagh (312), Patparganj (344), Narela (312), Mundka (375), Jahangirpuri (354), Dwarka Sector 8 (324), Bawana (339), Anand Vihar (342), and Alipur (307).

--IANS

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