New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday accused the Delhi government of manipulating air quality data, alleging that water was sprinkled near monitoring stations and data collection was disrupted to underreport pollution levels.
A delegation led by AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj met officials of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and raised concerns over alleged water sprinkling near monitoring stations, data blackouts and the location of some stations in greener areas.
Bharadwaj said the CAQM had termed the sprinkling of water near monitoring stations “wrong” and assured the delegation that the matter would be taken up with senior Delhi government officials.
He also said the commission had assured the party that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) would replace certain monitoring equipment to prevent data blackouts and ensure accurate AQI readings.
The AAP leader further alleged that monitoring stations had stopped recording pollution levels on Diwali night, preventing firecracker-related pollution from being captured. He claimed the CPCB had acknowledged limitations in displaying readings above 999 and said the equipment would be upgraded to address the issue.
Bharadwaj said the party had submitted a complaint to the CAQM chairman on November 4 and had sought a meeting, but had received no response or appointment. He alleged that party representatives were initially denied entry when they visited the commission's office.
Although the CAQM had not provided a specific timeline for action, Bharadwaj said the party expected a response within a week. He added that the delegation had also sought an update on its earlier complaint.
AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar, who was part of the delegation, criticised the handling of pollution in the capital and claimed that several areas had recorded extremely high pollution levels after Diwali. He also expressed concern over the impact of poor air quality, particularly on people with respiratory ailments.
Meanwhile, Delhi recorded an overall AQI of 299 at 7 am on Wednesday, placing it in the 'poor' category, according to the CPCB. The capital has continued to experience pollution amid falling temperatures and moderate fog, while water sprinklers have been deployed across the city as part of pollution-control measures.
(With agency inputs from ANI and PTI)