Delhi's air quality slides down to 'moderate' at 197
What's the story
Delhi's air quality deteriorated slightly on Saturday, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 197 at 8:30am. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), this falls in the "moderate" category. Anand Vihar and RK Puram recorded "poor" AQIs of 265 and 247, respectively. In contrast, IGI Airport T3 Delhi recorded a "moderate" AQI of 176.
Pollution levels
Areas that recorded high AQI readings on Friday
On Friday, several areas in Delhi recorded high AQI readings. Mundka recorded an AQI of 230, Shadipur 248, Nehru Nagar 207, Rohini 221, and Bawana 220. Jahangirpuri had an AQI of 245 while Wazirpur was at 207. Ashok Vihar recorded an AQI of 201 while Narela had a reading of 215. Vivek Vihar's AQI was at 204, Pusa's at 142, and Sirifort's at 218. Chandani Chowk recorded 176.
Pollution controversy
AAP accuses BJP of manipulating pollution data
The worsening air quality has sparked a political debate. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has questioned the credibility of Delhi's pollution data and opposed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's decision to set up six new AQI monitoring stations in green and open areas. AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP government of trying to "artificially lower AQI readings by shifting monitoring infrastructure."