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As post-Diwali smog blanketed Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party president Saurabh Bhardwaj on Monday accused the government of manipulating AQI data, asking for "true" numbers for pollution.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), air quality deteriorated to the brink of the 'severe' category on Monday morning, with the AQI touching the 400 mark. Smog reduced visibility in several parts of the city. Speaking to ANI, Bhardwaj alleged that monitoring stations were shut down and 20 new AQI stations were installed in remote, green areas of Delhi. He claimed water is being sprinkled over monitoring stations in polluted spots to manipulate readings. "The government's data is based on fraud. We showed how monitoring stations were shut down, and how 20 new AQI stations were installed in remote, lush green areas of Delhi. Water is being sprinkled directly over the monitoring stations in polluted spots to manipulate the readings. People simply do not trust the government's AQI numbers; I certainly don't," he said, claiming that AQI had crossed 3,000 in several areas. He warned that PM 2.5 particles at such levels enter the bloodstream and could trigger heart attacks in those with heart ailments and respiratory failure in asthmatic children. "By peddling false numbers, the government is playing with peoples lives. My message to the government is: if you are encouraging fireworks, then own up to it and take full responsibility. You cannot engage in fraud; you must reveal the truth," he said. "Take responsibility and present the true AQI to the public, or else vulnerable citizensthe sick, the elderly, and childrencould lose their lives," he added. Several monitoring stations across Delhi recorded AQI levels above 400. Burari Crossing registered the highest reading at 441, followed by Vivek Vihar at 437, Delhi Technological University (DTU) at 434, North Campus of Delhi University and Jahangirpuri at 433 each, and Rohini at 430. Other locations in the severe category included Mundka at 417, Punjabi Bagh at 409, NIH Narela at 407 and ITO at 407. Among other monitoring stations, CRRI Mathura Road recorded an AQI of 396, Aya Nagar 386, Talkatora Garden 384, NSUT Jaffarpur 378, Lodhi Road 370, Mandir Marg 369, Wazirpur 365, R K Puram 364, Badarpur 363, IHBAS Dilshad Garden 363 and Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range 361. Najafgarh recorded an AQI of 340, Anand Vihar 335, IMD Lodhi Road 323, Ashok Vihar 319 and Sri Aurobindo Marg 267. Data for IIT Delhi and Dwarka Sector 8 was unavailable. (ANI)
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