Watch | Fudged data, faulty equipment impeding India's air pollution control?
Environmentalists Bhavreen Kandhari and Vimlendu K Jha unpack the systemic failures, data manipulation, and policy shortcomings behind the high AQI crisis
In the latest episode of YouTube show AI with Sanket, The Federal discusses with environmentalists Bhavreen Kandhari, environmentalist and clean air strategist, and Vimlendu K Jha environmentalist and founder of Swechha, why Delhi’s air again turned severe after Diwali.
The guests criticise the Supreme Court’s relaxation for green crackers, the reliability of air-quality data, and the reliance on emergency measures such as GRAP and water sprinkling, and argue that pollution must be tackled at source.
"Out of 59 air quality monitors in Delhi, almost 45 stopped working at 9 PM on Diwali night, artificially pulling down the national average on the most polluting day of the year," says Jha. The statement comes as cities across the country recorded post-Diwali Air Quality Index (AQI) levels exceeding hazardous limits, exposing severe institutional inaction and flawed mitigation strategies.
Watch the full video here.
