Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Nov 9: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has accused the BJP-led Delhi government of manipulating air quality data, with party leader Saurabh Bhardwaj claiming that the Air Quality Index (AQI) crossed 3,000 in several parts of the national capital on Diwali night.
Citing readings from independent air quality monitoring platforms, Bhardwaj alleged that the government's official figures failed to reflect the actual pollution levels and accused it of misleading residents about the severity of the situation.
"AQI 3000 paar. Full credit to these brothers who raised pollution beyond 3000," Bhardwaj wrote on X.
In two videos shared on the social media platform, the AAP leader questioned the government's pollution monitoring arrangements and claimed that readings at several locations were significantly higher than the officially reported figures.
He also alleged that around 20 new AQI monitoring stations had been installed in relatively green areas on the outskirts of Delhi, while water was being sprayed around existing monitoring stations in more polluted locations to lower the recorded readings.
Bhardwaj accused the government of attempting to manipulate pollution data instead of acknowledging the seriousness of the situation. He also raised concerns over the health risks posed by deteriorating air quality, particularly for children, elderly people and those suffering from respiratory ailments.
However, the figures cited by Bhardwaj were based on independent monitoring platforms and did not correspond to the official data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The readings shared in his videos have not been independently verified.
According to CPCB data, Delhi recorded an average AQI of 376 on Diwali, November 8, placing the city in the 'very poor' category.
The official figures nevertheless indicated severe pollution across several parts of the capital. Of Delhi's 59 air quality monitoring stations, 19 were in the 'severe' category at 7 pm on Sunday, while 33 recorded 'very poor' air quality and seven were in the 'poor' category. Jahangirpuri reported the highest AQI at 460.
Separately, data from independent monitoring platform AQI.in showed that Delhi's AQI peaked at 1,331 at 1.31 am on November 9. This was a real-time reading from the platform and was distinct from the CPCB's official figures.