The BJP and Congress on Wednesday slammed Chief Minister Atishi for making excuses and not solving pollution in Delhi on a day when she inspected the Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and blamed the BJP-ruled state Haryana for polluting Yamuna.

Addressing the media after the inspection, Atishi stated, "Over the past few days, whether it’s the rising pollution levels in the Yamuna or the increase in air pollution and AQI levels, the root cause is BJP's dirty politics. The pollution in the Yamuna is happening because Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are sending untreated industrial waste into the river, to the Wazirabad and Kalindi Kunj Barrages."

She added, “We have witnessed how froth is continuously forming in the Yamuna at Kalindi Kunj Barrage, especially around Diwali and Chhath Puja. This is because Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are deliberately sending toxic industrial waste to Delhi during this period."

The senior AAP leader emphasised that the ammonia levels in the Yamuna at Wazirabad Barrage surged to 3 pm by Tuesday evening, making the water unsuitable for treatment at the water treatment plants. "Due to the polluted water being discharged into the Yamuna by Haryana via DD-2 and DD-8 drains, the output at Wazirabad, Sonia Vihar, and Bhagirathi water treatment plants has been impacted, leading to water shortages in Delhi," she claimed.

Further, on the issue of air pollution, she claimed, "On one hand, Punjab has reduced stubble burning incidents by 50 per cent between 2021 and 2023, and by an additional 25 per cent in 2023-2024. On the other hand, incidents have surged by 23 per cent in Haryana and 70 per cent in Uttar Pradesh."

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP called Atishi’s remarks as not only irresponsible but also false. “The Chief Minister should understand that the blame for polluting the Yamuna in Delhi lies with the Delhi Jal Board’s failure to install STP facilities, not with industrial waste from other states,” Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said.