Delhi smothered by smog: Where’s the city government?

Delhi’s air quality may be touching alarming levels on Monday morning but the city government and leaders appear not to have woken up to the mounting pollution problem that has engulfed the Capital in a toxic haze.

On Monday morning, as hundreds of commuters took to social media to complain about breathing difficulties and poor visibility, top ministers from the Aam Aadmi Party administration didn’t tweet anything about the government’s response to the pollution menace.

The otherwise Twitter-savvy chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted a tribute to India’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel around 9am.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia also didn’t offer any roadmap of the administration’s plan to tackle the pollution crisis.

Health minister Satyender Jain tweeted his good wishes for Patel’s birth anniversary and Govardhan Puja.

“Pollution level kaafi sheheron mein high hai. Delhi ke logon ka dhanyavad. Iss baar patakhe kum the...(Pollution level is high in many cities. Thanks to the people of Delhi. Firecrackers were fewer this year,” Jain told ANI.

The AAP official handle tweeted wished people a happy Diwali, Govardhan Puja and posted details about the party’s upcoming programmes.

The government has announced plans of installing giant outdoor air purifiers at five highly polluted locations but has been repeatedly accused of not doing enough to arrest the spike in toxic gases that may cause acute health distress, including respiratory ailments and even cancer.