Air pollution in Delhi did not drop by 25% as claimed by AAP Govt: Greenpeace
| Date :08-Nov-2019 |
NEW DELHI :
THE Delhi Government’s claim of a 25 per cent reduction in air pollution levels over the past few years is not true, Greenpeace India said on Thursday, inviting a quick rebuttal from city’s ruling party which dismissed the NGO’s report. According to a Greenpeace India analysis, “Historical ambient air quality monitoring and satellite data coupled with increasing fossil fuel consumption in Delhi and adjoining states contradict the government’s claims of a 25 per cent reduction in pollution levels over past years.” Reacting to the Greenpeace report, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said they are not concerned about the analysis.
“The Centre in its affidavit to the Supreme Court has said it under oath that the pollution in Delhi has reduced and the pollution in October and November is due to stubble-burning.” In Government advertisements, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has been claiming that levels of PM 2.5 (or particulate matters equal to smaller then 2.5 microns in diameter) reduced to an average of 115 between 2016 and 2018 from an average of 154 between 2012 and 2014, which amounted to a 25 per cent reduction. However, Greenpeace India said that satellite data shows no statistically significant reduction in PM2.5 levels over the period from 2013 to 2018 and only shows slight reductions in later part of 2018 compared to the past three years.
Also, contrary to the claims of the AAP Government that pollution has plummeted in the city, PM10 levels have augmented in 2018 as per the data at the manual air quality monitoring stations operated by pollution watchdog CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board), the NGO said. “PM10 data at manual air quality monitoring stations operated by CPCB under National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) on the contrary shows higher PM10 levels in 2018 compared to 2013, 2014 and 2015,” it said.