New Delhi: A political row has erupted over Delhi’s air quality data, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accusing the BJP government of manipulating pollution readings and Delhi Labour Minister Kapil Mishra alleging a “conspiracy” in AAP-governed Punjab to set stubble on fire.
AAP’s Data Fraud Allegation
AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj attacked the BJP government over alleged air quality data “manipulation” through the shutting down of monitoring stations.
“The government which shuts down air quality monitoring stations on the night of Diwali, the government that does data fraud, how will you trust such a government?” he asked in a video posted on X.
“The government is doing the fraud openly. We had written to the CAQM and CPCB (about the data manipulation). But everyone is silent. This is because everyone is part of this fraud,” Mr. Bharadwaj said.
Last week, the AAP had accused the BJP government of “manipulating” AQI data by spraying water on monitoring stations, and alleged that “fudging” AQI data was not just corruption but life-threatening. The party also wrote to the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) alleging manipulation.
The Missing Data
At the peak of pollution following firecracker bursting on Sunday (November 8) night, data from several monitoring stations operated by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) were unavailable for hours. This raises the possibility that the actual spike in pollution could have been higher.
When asked about the missing data, Mr. Mishra said the government would look into the issue within an hour and inform the media.
On Deepavali night, PM2.5 levels in parts of the city soared to 66 times the World Health Organization’s recommended 24-hour guideline, before gradually declining in the early hours of Monday (November 9), according to official data.
BJP’s Counter-Allegation
Mr. Mishra alleged that 1,200 stubble-burning incidents happened in Punjab on Sunday evening — 10 times that of previous days.
“We got calls from farmers in Punjab that stubble is being set on fire. Someone is coming and setting stubble on fire and running away, when farmers are celebrating Diwali with their families. This is a very serious issue and a conspiracy against Delhi, Punjab, and farmers,” he said.
