NEW DELHI: Delhi’s air pollution crisis intensified on Friday, with the national capital recording an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 494 at 7.31 am. Thick smog and toxic haze enveloped the city, severely affecting visibility and raising concerns over public health.
According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), several parts of Delhi recorded extremely poor air quality. The IIT Delhi monitoring station reported an AQI of 488, while ITO recorded 455. Anand Vihar registered 419, Rohini 413 and the Rajokri border 402.
Other locations also reported alarming pollution levels. RK Puram recorded an AQI of 391, Mandir Marg 378, Dwarka Expressway 369, Uttam Nagar 363 and Lodhi Road 341. Dhaula Kuan was among the relatively less polluted locations, with an AQI of 161.
With pollution levels remaining severe, the Delhi government has deployed water-sprinkling vehicles across the city to suppress dust particles and improve air quality.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj has accused the BJP government of misrepresenting the actual extent of Delhi’s pollution. He also questioned the reliability of AQI figures published by the CPCB.
Citing a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA), Bharadwaj claimed that actual pollution levels were 49% higher than those displayed on official government platforms.
Speaking to ANI, he argued that when the reported AQI stands at around 370, the actual pollution level could be 560 or even higher.
Bharadwaj also questioned the CPCB’s explanation regarding the limitations of its pollution monitoring system. He criticised the reported inability to record or display AQI readings exceeding 999.
According to his allegation, when pollution levels cross the 999 mark, the system fails to display the actual figure and may instead show zero. He described this as a serious failure in communicating the true pollution situation to residents.
“This amounts to cheating two crore people in Delhi,” Bharadwaj alleged, warning that children and elderly residents were particularly vulnerable to the health risks posed by toxic air.
The CREA analysis was based on hourly PM2.5 data collected from 59 monitoring stations across Delhi. The report identified 255 missing hourly readings between 4 pm on November 8 and 4 pm on November 9.
During the same period, the 24-hour average PM2.5 concentration reportedly increased from 269 micrograms per cubic metre to 400 micrograms per cubic metre, marking a rise of approximately 49%.
The findings have once again brought the reliability of pollution monitoring and the urgent need for effective air-quality management in the national capital into focus.
