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Following attacks by BJP leaders on Shut down of the 'Smog Tower' in Connaught Place, the Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai blamed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee for the closure of the tower.
Gopal Rai on Saturday said that the Central Government appointed Ashwani Kumar as the Chairman of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and he stopped the payment for the study of the smog tower. The Delhi Environment Minister said, "Violating all traditions, the Central Government appointed Ashwani Kumar as the Chairman of DPCC (Delhi Pollution Control Committee). Using his superpower, Ashwani Kumar violated a Supreme Court order and stopped the payment for the study of the smog tower. Following this, the agencies stopped the study and the smog tower was shut." The Minister blamed the Delhi Pollution Control Committee for the closure of the tower. "The responsibility for the smog tower at Anand Vihar was given to the Central govt-CPCB and Delhi government was given the responsibility of the smog tower in CP. The smog tower at CP (setup in 2021) was operational and the final report of the data collected was to come out after two years. In December, Ashwini Kumar became DPCC chairman. Soon after his appointment, he stopped the Real-time Source Apportionment study without the informing Delhi government. He also stopped payments to IIT-Bombay and other agencies who were working on the smog tower. Since then the smog tower has stopped working." Gopal Rai said. Earlier on Friday BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla had protested at the Smog Tower in Delhi's Connaught place wearing a World War Style Gas Mask. The BJP leader claimed that the tower had not been operational for eight months. Meanwhile, according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR)-India, the overall air quality in the national capital Delhi (Overall) is in the 'severe' category with Air Quality Index (AQI) of 504. (ANI)
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