AAP Accuses Delhi Govt of ‘Artificially Boosting’ AQI Readings Near Minister’s Home

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has levelled serious allegations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Delhi government, accusing it of artificially improving air quality readings around monitoring stations instead of implementing city-wide solutions.

AAP leader and Tilak Nagar MLA Jarnail Singh visited the Air Quality Index (AQI) monitoring station on Vashistha Kumar Gulla Marg in Punjabi Bagh. He claimed that water sprinklers were operating continuously at the site, which is located near the residence of Delhi's Environment Minister, Manjinder Singh Sirsa.

In a video posted online, Singh pointed to the lush greenery and dust-free roads in the immediate vicinity of the monitor. He stated that the consistent operation of sprinklers in this specific area ensures that the station consistently reports a better AQI than other parts of the city.

"If water spraying can clean the air, then the government should implement this system across all of Delhi," Singh questioned. "Why is this facility only operational around the Environment Minister's house and the monitoring station? Do the rest of Delhi's people not have the right to clean air?"

A driver present at the location reportedly confirmed to the AAP MLA that the sprinkler machine runs 24 hours a day in that area. Singh contrasted this with other residential neighbourhoods, which, he claimed, do not receive the same service.

Singh appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, urging them not to "mislead Delhi's people by showing good AQI numbers only near one monitoring station." He demanded that, given the severe pollution levels where the AQI often exceeds 500, the government must take all necessary steps on a "war footing."

He insisted that if water sprinklers are an effective solution, they should be deployed continuously across the entire city to provide relief to all residents, asserting that clean air should not be limited to one locality.