Behind the smoke: Decoding Delhi’s conflicting AQI numbers

What happened: Private weather apps reported Delhi AQI readings above 3,000 during Diwali while official government dashboards capped at 500, and over half of Delhi's official monitoring stations stopped broadcasting data during peak midnight hours. Key numbers: Private apps reported AQI above 3,000; official dashboards cap at 500; Why it matters: The CPCB said older analysers flagged out-of-range readings as errors and discarded them, not human tampering. The article argues focus on the Diwali spike obscures year-round pollution from vehicular exhaust, road dust, and industrial emissions.

Private weather apps reported Delhi AQI readings above 3,000 during Diwali while official government dashboards capped at 500, and over half of Delhi's official monitoring stations stopped broadcasting data during peak midnight hours.

The CPCB said older analysers flagged out-of-range readings as errors and discarded them, not human tampering. The article argues focus on the Diwali spike obscures year-round pollution from vehicular exhaust, road dust, and industrial emissions.