Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of dumping dead fish, allegedly bought from markets, into the Yamuna to malign the BJP government’s efforts to clean up the river. He also questioned the appearance of white fish in the river, asking whether anyone had seen such fish in the Yamuna before.
The minister’s remarks come amid a political row over several dead fish found floating near the Sonia Vihar stretch of the Yamuna, days ahead of Chhath Puja, when thousands of devotees are expected to gather along the riverbank.
Sirsa alleged that the incident was part of a conspiracy to discredit the BJP government’s clean-up efforts, claiming that nearly 60 per cent of the river had been cleaned. He also accused the Opposition of attempting to hurt the religious sentiments of women who will perform Chhath rituals and offer prayers at the riverbank.
Appealing to the AAP not to politicise the issue, Sirsa said, “I fold my hands and request you not to trouble Delhi residents this way.”
The allegations come a day after Water Minister Parvesh Verma also accused unidentified people of deliberately dumping dead fish into the river to create panic ahead of Chhath. Verma said his department had approached the police and that an FIR would be registered to investigate the incident and establish whether those involved had links with AAP workers.
AAP Rejects Allegations
AAP, meanwhile, has rejected the allegations and demanded an investigation into the fish deaths. Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned how the fish had died and alleged that the government was attempting to divert attention from the Yamuna’s pollution. He also challenged the BJP to produce evidence of anyone dumping dead fish into the river.
The latest incident is the second case of mass fish deaths reported in the Yamuna in less than a month. Hundreds of dead fish were spotted near Burari in October. Experts had flagged industrial effluents, sewage discharge and deteriorating water quality as possible causes, while calling for laboratory testing to establish the exact reason.
Sirsa Says Delhi’s Post-Diwali AQI Better Than Previous Years
Separately, Sirsa claimed that Delhi was witnessing relatively cleaner air quality days after Diwali compared with the corresponding period over the past decade.
Calling it a historic improvement, the minister said the government’s pollution-control efforts were beginning to show results. He, however, acknowledged that the air quality was still not satisfactory and said more work was needed.
His remarks came even as Delhi’s AQI stood at around 350 on November 12, placing it in the ‘Very Poor’ category, according to Central Pollution Control Board data.
Bureau Report
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