Delhi residents puzzled as AQI reports diverge after Diwali 2026
After Diwali 2026, Delhiites have been left scratching their heads as government and private apps report wildly different air quality numbers:
CPCB says AQI is in the 300s (very poor), but some private platforms are flashing numbers over 3,000.
Naturally, this has made people question what's actually in the air they're breathing.
CPCB 500 scale versus US method
It mostly comes down to how each app calculates AQI.
The CPCB uses India's system (which tops out at 500), while apps like IQAir use the US method that can go way higher when pollution spikes.
Different ways of measuring pollutants and using sensors add to the confusion.
Saurabh Bharadwaj alleges Delhi stations relocated
AAP Delhi president Saurabh Bharadwaj has accused officials of shutting down monitoring stations and setting up around 20 new AQI stations at locations far away from pollution hotspots, making things murkier.
Checking the actual PM2.5 concentration alongside AQI can therefore help readers understand the extent of pollution without getting confused by different numerical scales.