AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj has alleged that the CPCB manipulated Delhi's pollution data, claiming actual AQI levels were 49% higher than reported. He described the discrepancy as a massive fraud impacting the health of the city's residents.

Allegations of Pollution Data Manipulation

AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj on Thursday targeted the BJP over the severe rise in pollution levels in Delhi following Diwali celebrations and questioned the credibility of the CPCB readings of the city's AQI data levels, describing this act as a fraud against the 2 crore people of the city.

Speaking to ANI, Saurabh Bharadwaj, citing a CREA report, alleged data manipulation in Delhi pollution levels, claiming that the actual figures were 49 per cent higher than what was officially displayed on government website readings.

Discrepancies in CPCB Reporting

"Today, many newspapers completely exposed the Delhi government and the Central Pollution Control Board. CREA showed that the pollution shown for Delhi was 49% higher than what you were told—meaning it was almost one and a half times higher. So, if I put this into AQI terms, the AQI shown as 370 was actually 560, or maybe even higher. Why? Because the data they gave us yesterday when we met the CPCB was ridiculous. The CPCB said that when our pollution level hits 999, we don't even consider that level, because we can't measure above 999 and we don't display 999. So it's just shown as zero.....So this fraud done with pollution wasn't just done with the numbers, but with the health of our kids, our elders, and the two crore people of Delhi," said Bharadwaj.

Bharadwaj's remarks came after the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CERA), which studied hourly PM 2 5 data from 59 monitoring stations in Delhi and found 255 missing hourly station records between 4 pm on November 8 and 4 pm on November 9, noted a 24-hour average jump from 269 to 400 micrograms per cubic metre, thus recording a rise of nearly 49%.

Current Status of Air Quality

Meanwhile, Delhi's air quality improved marginally on Thursday morning, with the national capital recording an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of 321 in the 'very poor' category. However, a thick layer of smog engulfed several parts of the city, reducing visibility during the early morning hours.

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