Delhi’s air quality deteriorated sharply on Friday morning, with the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 494 at 7:31 am, placing the national capital in the severe category. Dense fog combined with pollution reduced visibility across several parts of the city.
According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, IIT Delhi recorded an AQI of 488, among the highest in the city. ITO followed at 455, while Anand Vihar registered 419, Rohini 413 and Rajokri Border 402. All five locations were in the severe category.
Several other areas reported very poor air quality. R K Puram recorded an AQI of 391, followed by Mandir Marg at 378, Dwarka Expressway at 369, Uttam Nagar at 363 and Lodhi Road at 341. Dhaula Kuan reported a comparatively lower reading of 161, placing it in the moderate category.
The Delhi government has been undertaking measures to control pollution and limit the impact of particulate matter, including deploying water sprinklers across the city.
Meanwhile, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned the credibility of the CPCB’s pollution readings and accused the authorities of manipulating air quality data. Speaking to ANI on Thursday, he cited a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), alleging that actual pollution levels were 49% higher than the figures displayed on government websites.
The CREA study examined hourly PM2.5 data from 59 monitoring stations in Delhi. It identified 255 missing hourly station records between 4 pm on November 8 and 4 pm on November 9. The study also found that the 24-hour average PM2.5 concentration increased from 269 to 400 micrograms per cubic metre, a rise of nearly 49%.
Bharadwaj alleged that the discrepancies meant residents were being given an incomplete picture of the city’s pollution levels. He also questioned the handling of readings exceeding the monitoring system’s displayed upper limit.
Source: The Times of India
