Data dressing will not help in fight against pollution

Hindustan Times

26-04-2025

In a city where the air quality routinely hovers in the 'poor' or 'very poor' range, you would think that every decision made to tackle air pollution would be strategic, data-driven, and laser-focused on the most affected zones. Unfortunately, the Delhi government's latest move to install six new Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) across the Capital appears to defy that logic.
The new monitors are being placed at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Delhi Cantonment, Netaji Subhash University (West Campus), and the Commonwealth Games Sports Complex – all relatively low-density, green, and institutionally controlled environments. These are not areas grappling with the thick of Delhi's pollution crisis. Instead, they are among the city's better performing pockets when it comes to air quality.
Compare this with Anand Vihar, where the AQI regularly crosses the 300–400 mark during peak pollution seasons; almost double that of readings in campus zones like JNU or Delhi Cantonment, where AQI can be 100 points lower on the same day. In fact, Anand Vihar reported an AQI of 426 on a November day in 2023 when the Cantonment area clocked in at a relatively benign 172. Yet, the state's newest high-tech monitors are being positioned in the latter.
What's more, the decision comes at a time when Delhi's air quality remains a ticking time bomb. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi logged a 24-hour average AQI of 194 (moderate) on Monday — the fourth consecutive day in the same range. But these moderate readings are heavily influenced by the location of the monitoring stations. If most monitors are concentrated in 'green zones,' the city's average AQI is bound to look deceptively cleaner.
The distortion has serious implications. These monitors guide everything from public health warnings to school closures and traffic restrictions. They also serve as a foundation for long-term environmental and urban planning. Placing them in sanitised, low traffic areas paints an unrealistically optimistic picture of Delhi's air -- a dangerous form of self-deception.
Let's not forget the cost. A single CAAQMS setup can cost upwards of ₹1 crore in installation and operational expenses. These are taxpayer-funded investments that should be strategically deployed where they are most needed -- high-density residential areas, congested intersections, industrial belts, near waste-to-energy plants and construction-heavy zones. These are the locations where residents, especially children and the elderly, suffer the worst health impacts due to sustained exposure to polluted air.
Indeed, Delhi already has 40 CAAQMS spread across the city, but several critical areas remain under monitored. For instance, highly polluted zones like Okhla, Nangloi, and parts of North-East Delhi are still without round-the-clock monitoring. Shouldn't these be the priority?
Of course, there is a role for monitors in campus areas too, particularly for research and long-term trend analysis. But the current strategy is imbalanced. One or two monitors for such zones might be justified, but not at the cost of neglecting frontline pollution hotspots.
The Delhi government must course-correct. The public deserves clean air, but more importantly, it deserves truthful air quality data. Sugarcoating the numbers by planting monitors in leafy enclaves is not environmental stewardship; it's optics.
Until pollution is tackled where it hurts the most, Delhi will remain a city gasping for breath. Monitoring clean air is easy. The real challenge — and responsibility — lies in facing the dirtier truths.
Bhavreen Kandhari is an advocate for environmental rights. The views expressed are personal