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The National Capital's air quality slightly improved on Friday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 183 at 8 am, placing it in the 'moderate' category, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The city had registered a 'poor' AQI of 209 on Thursday and 294 on Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, the national capital recorded a temperature of 12 degrees Celsius at around 7 am, with humidity at 95 per cent, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Further, Mundka recorded the AQI at 230, followed by Shadipur (248), Nehru Nagar (207), Rohini (221), Bawana (220), Jahangirpuri (245), Wazirpur (207), Ashok Vihar (201), Narela (215), Vivek Vihar (204), Pusa (142), Sirifort (218), and Chandani Chowk (176), according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Sri Aurobindo Marg recorded the AQI at 123, with other areas including Lodhi Road (135), Major Dhyan Chand Stadium (142), Mandir Marg (141), IIT Delhi (144), Dwarka-Sector 8 (190), and IGI Airport (141) reporting comparatively better air quality. As per AQI classification, a reading between 0 and 50 is 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe'. A day earlier, Sri Aurobindo Marg recorded the AQI at 159, followed by IIT Delhi (158), Lodhi Road (164), IGI Airport (165), Mandir Marg (166), Aya Nagar (168), and Chandani Chowk (167), reporting comparatively better air quality. Mundka recorded 275, Sirifort 277, Bawana 263, Wazirpur 259, Pusa 257, Nehru Nagar 249, Jahangirpuri 246, Rohini 238, Shadipur 236, Narela 240, and Ashok Vihar 229, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The worsening air quality has also sparked political debate. On Tuesday, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) questioned the credibility of Delhi's pollution data, raising objections to the BJP government's decision to install six new AQI monitoring stations in the city's green and open areas. AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj said the intent of the BJP government led by Rekha Gupta was not to clean Delhi's air but to artificially lower AQI readings by shifting monitoring infrastructure to greener zones, thereby creating a false impression of improvement without taking substantive anti-pollution measures. In a post on X, Bharadwaj wrote, "CM Rekha Gupta's new manipulation has come to the fore. The government has now installed new AQI monitoring stations in green and open areas. Without reducing pollution, the BJP government will manipulate AQI data and show lower pollution levels. Even the CAQM remains silent despite this manipulation, as all the IAS officers there are appointed by the Central Government. In Delhi, a system made by IAS officers for IAS officers is running." (ANI)
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