Delhi’s battle against poisonous air has taken a dramatic turn, with AAP firing heavy artillery at the government for alleged AQI data rigging. The opposition party contends that fresh monitoring stations are cunningly sited in pristine green belts to fabricate progress reports.
Critics within AAP point to a pattern: Stations in low-pollution oases like forested ridges, university campuses, and quiet riverbanks, remote from the grit of factories and honking traffic. This, they say, engineers low AQI scores, letting officials claim victories without tangible cleanup.
At the forefront is Saurabh Bharadwaj, AAP’s state boss, who blasted the ploy as intentional misdirection. Via X, he dubbed it ‘fresh trickery’ and ripped into the CAQM for complicity, noting its IAS-heavy composition loyal to the center. ‘Public health is collateral damage in this bureaucratic charade,’ he charged.
Echoing a springtime uproar, Bharadwaj listed dubious locations from April: Yamuna banks by Akshardham, JNU expanses, NSIT, IGNOU woods—idyllic settings sans pollution drivers like smokestacks, vehicle exhausts, or population pressure.
AAP urges a reset: Install gauges where pollution peaks—in industrial corridors, traffic-choked boulevards, packed neighborhoods. True data alone can spur effective measures against the smog monster.
This unfolding saga amid choking hazes spotlights governance flaws. For Delhiites enduring toxic winters, unmasking data deceit is step one toward reclamation of clear, healthy air.