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New Delhi, Oct 21 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday thanked the people of Delhi for celebrating Diwali this year by balancing tradition with environmental concerns.
“For the first time in many years, the brightness, grandeur and illumination of the city was truly extraordinary,” he said, thanking the Supreme Court for allowing limited use of green firecrackers as air monitors confirmed a slight rise in AQI the day after Diwali.
As Delhi’s air deteriorated after Diwali day and 29 out of 31 monitoring stations indicated ‘very poor’ AQI, the Chief Minister said, “For the first time in years, the city’s pollution levels remained largely under control ahead of the festival. This was due to effective measures by the government.”
He said that his government is very concerned about pollution and is taking effective steps to control it. His comments come after Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa’s statement in which he had said that before Diwali, the AQI was 335 and after Diwali, it was 356.
The Chief Minister also lauded the citizens of Delhi for celebrating responsibly and prioritizing happiness over pollution, adding that it gave him immense satisfaction to see Delhiites celebrating such a vibrant Diwali after many years.
CM Gupta said that in the days before Diwali and during the festival, the entire atmosphere of Delhi seemed changed.
He said, “The markets were bustling and people shopped enthusiastically and worked hard to decorate their homes. According to him, the people of Delhi felt that this time they have a government that respects the Sanatan traditions and also understands the current needs and sentiments of its citizens. People put their faith in the Delhi government and celebrated Diwali with full enthusiasm.”
The Chief Minister said that the glow and splendor of Delhi on Diwali night was truly mesmerizing. There was special festive enthusiasm among the citizens. He thanked the people of Delhi for their responsible behavior in keeping pollution levels low and for respecting the Supreme Court’s direction by choosing green crackers.
The chief minister also hit out at previous city governments for not trying to achieve a balance between tradition with environmental concerns on Diwali.
He said his government was keen to seek permission for the use of green crackers during Diwali and had accordingly requested the Supreme Court.
He said, understanding the cultural sensitivity and public sentiments of the country, the Supreme Court has agreed to the limited use of green firecrackers.
CM Gupta said that for almost seven years, Delhiites were in a state of uncertainty as to how to celebrate the festival. Earlier, the Supreme Court had imposed some restrictions on firecrackers in view of the increasing levels of pollution. However, during this period, the former government in Delhi failed to implement any effective anti-pollution measures and instead imposed a complete ban on firecrackers.
This approach proved counterproductive, he said, as illegal firecrackers continued to enter Delhi, causing severe pollution.
This year Diwali brought double the happiness for the people of Delhi. They lit lamps, made rangoli, distributed sweets and used eco-friendly green crackers to light up the sky.
The Chief Minister said that his heart was filled with joy and satisfaction to see the people of Delhi celebrating Diwali so beautifully and dutifully after many years.
–IANS
RCH/UK