Delhi AQI Data Under Scrutiny as Monitoring Stations Go Offline Amid Peak Diwali Pollution
Officials said 227 hourly readings were missing across 59 monitoring stations, raising concerns that the city’s air quality index may have been understated.
- On Sunday night, numerous air quality monitoring stations in Delhi went offline during peak Diwali firecracker usage, creating a data void that raised serious questions about the reliability of the official Air Quality Index tracking exercise.
- Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the Delhi government of 'data fraud,' alleging authorities manipulated readings to understate pollution levels, while Delhi Labour Minister Kapil Mishra alleged a 'conspiracy' by Punjab to burn stubble.
- Analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air found 36 stations stopped reporting by 1 a.m. Monday; PM2.5 levels in Patparganj reached 2,597 micrograms per cubic meter before data went missing, roughly 173 times the World Health Organisation limit.
- Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director of the Centre for Science and Environment, called the 'data eclipse' during peak pollution 'inexplicable,' as experts warn missing readings create confusion and panic, masking the true severity of the emergency.
- Similar data gaps occurred last year, fueling ongoing distrust; private monitoring platforms like IQAir reported hazardous levels on Monday morning, contradicting official figures and highlighting discrepancies in measurement methods used by government agencies.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Delhi AQI data questioned as stations go offline on Diwali night
Delhi experienced its most polluted Diwali in five years, but the official air quality figures are under scrutiny. Several monitoring stations reportedly went offline during the peak firecracker period on Sunday night, leading to discrepancies between government and private agency data. Experts and opposition leaders have raised concerns about the reliability of the AQI tracking, with allegations of "data fraud" and calls for greater transparenc…
On Diwali night, Delhi was shrouded in smoke from firecrackers. Government monitoring stations recorded PM 2.5 levels reaching 1725, but the online AQI read only 403. Some displays were out of order. Firecrackers were burst even after 10 p.m.
'Data eclipse': Experts flag Delhi AQI data gap on Diwali night after 36 of 59 pollution monitoring stations 'go offline'
This Diwali, Delhi faced its highest air pollution levels in five years, sparking doubts about the accuracy of monitoring systems. Numerous air quality stations ceased reporting at critical times, creating gaps in data. In contrast, private monitoring agencies discovered far greater pollution levels than the government reported, prompting accusations of data manipulation. Reliable air quality information is vital for ensuring public health, espe…
Delhi AQI Data Under Scrutiny as Monitoring Stations Go Offline on Diwali Night
AQI (air quality index) readings put out by private agencies did, in fact, paint a much more unpleasant picture than what the official figures reflected, with most parts of Delhi-NCR reporting extremely hazardous air pollution levels, leading experts to cast doubts over government data.
At peak of air pollution on Deepavali night, data goes missing at several govt monitoring stations in Delhi
“When the hourly PM2.5 data is missing, it will artificially lower the Air Quality Index (AQI), showing better air quality, when the actual air quality is worse,” Manoj Kumar, analyst, Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) said
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