E-Paper
Arvind Kejriwal's 'new science' jibe at Delhi CM's 'AQI is temperature' remark
Former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal claimed that his successor had “admitted” that water is being sprayed at the AQI monitors to keep the reading down.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal came down heavily on Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta's “AQI is temperature" remarks, asking, “When did this new science come?”
The former Delhi CM claimed that his successor had “admitted” that water is being sprayed at the AQI monitors to keep the reading down.
“First point - The Chief Minister has at least accepted that wherever AQI monitors are installed, water spraying is being done there so that the truth about pollution doesn't reach the people of Delhi. In other words, a game is underway to hide the data and show "clean air," Kejriwal wrote in a post on X.
Arvind Kejriwal further asked for the “science” behind Rekha Gupta's “AQI is temperature" remark.
“Second point - When did this new science come about that AQI has now become temperature?” he added.
Delhi’s BJP government has come under fire for its methods to tackle rising AQI in the national capital after several videos on social media claimed to show water being sprayed near AQI monitors to keep the readings in check.
Delhi's air quality remained in the 'very poor' category on Monday, with the AQI staying above 300. Forecasts suggest that pollution levels are likely to deteriorate further and slip into the 'very poor to severe' range in the coming days.
The 24-hour average AQI stood at 314 at 4 PM, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), compared to 308 at the same time on Sunday.
What did CM Rekha Gupta say?
While speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2025 on Saturday, Delhi CM Gupta was asked about opposition allegations that water was being sprayed on air monitors in hotspots to falsify pollution data.
"Tell me, what is a hotspot? A hotspot is an area with the highest pollution levels. Right? What's the solution? You spray there, you water it. You work to improve the soil. So, you'll spray only on the hotspot," she had responded.
She compared the AQI readings with temperature, saying watering was the only solution.
"Does using a monitor bring down the AQI? AQI is like a temperature which you can know from any instrument, so watering it is the only solution which we are also doing," she had added.
