New Delhi, 04 November (H.S.): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday lodged formal complaints against the Delhi government with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), alleging manipulation of Air Quality Index (AQI) data in the national capital.

AAP Delhi unit president Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the Delhi government of deliberately tampering with data recorded by air quality monitoring stations to conceal the actual extent of pollution in the city.

In his complaint, Bharadwaj sought an investigation into the alleged roles of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa. He alleged that a systematic attempt was being made to artificially lower AQI readings in Delhi, thereby putting the health of millions of residents at risk. As evidence, he submitted a video dated November 3, purportedly showing water being sprayed directly around a Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) located near the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Jahangirpuri.

Bharadwaj stated that the video showed water being sprayed directly at the monitoring station. Similarly, Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha had shared another video on his official X account on November 3, highlighting an alleged instance of the same practice.

The AAP alleged that spraying water around air quality monitoring sensors could affect PM2.5 and PM10 readings, potentially resulting in AQI figures that are lower than the actual pollution levels.

In his complaint, Bharadwaj maintained that the Jahangirpuri incident was not an isolated occurrence but could be indicative of alleged irregularities in the AQI monitoring system across different parts of Delhi.

The AAP Delhi president further alleged that artificially lowering AQI readings could undermine the implementation of pollution-control measures under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). This, he said, could affect the enforcement of essential restrictions, including curbs on heavy vehicles, controls on industrial activities and measures to prevent dust pollution.

The AAP has urged the CPCB and CAQM to order an independent, high-level investigation into alleged physical interference with all CAAQMS facilities across Delhi. It has also sought an independent audit of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee’s (DPCC) data acquisition systems and monitoring stations, legal action against those found responsible for the alleged irregularities, and an investigation into the roles of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa to establish accountability.

Bharadwaj said he was prepared to submit all relevant video recordings and digital evidence before the investigating agencies.

The allegations in the report are attributed to the AAP and Saurabh Bharadwaj; they have not been presented as independently established facts. The spellings of Saurabh Bharadwaj, Sanjeev Jha, Rekha Gupta and Manjinder Singh Sirsa are consistent with published and official references.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar