Arvind Kejriwal criticizes Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, questioning her statement that ‘AQI is temperature’ and exposing water spraying at monitors.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal strongly criticized Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta’s statement that “AQI is temperature,” questioning, “When did this new science emerge?”

The former Delhi Chief Minister asserted that his successor had acknowledged that water is being sprayed on the AQI monitors to artificially lower the readings.

First point – The Chief Minister has at least acknowledged that water sprinkling is being carried out at locations where AQI monitors are installed, in order to prevent the dissemination of the true extent of pollution to the residents of Delhi. In other words, an effort is currently in progress to conceal the data and present a facade of “clean air,” Kejriwal stated in a post on X.

Arvind Kejriwal further inquired about the scientific basis for Rekha Gupta’s statement that “AQI is temperature.”

“Second point – When did this new science emerge in which AQI has now been equated with temperature?” he added.

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Delhi’s BJP government has faced criticism for its approaches to address increasing AQI levels in the national capital, following multiple social media videos alleging that water is being doused near AQI monitors to artificially regulate the readings.

Delhi’s air quality continued to be classified as ‘very poor’ on Monday, with the AQI remaining above 300. Forecasts indicate that pollution levels are expected to decline further, potentially entering the ‘very poor to severe’ category in the upcoming days.

The 24-hour average AQI was recorded at 314 at 4 PM, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), compared to 308 at the same time on Sunday.

What remarks did CM Rekha Gupta make?

During his address at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2025 on Saturday, Delhi Chief Minister Gupta was questioned regarding opposition claims that water was being sprayed onto air monitors in locations in order to manipulate pollution data.

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Please explain, what precisely is a hotspot? A hotspot is a region characterized by the greatest concentrations of pollution. Is that correct? What is the proposed solution? You apply the spray there, you moisten it. You undertake efforts to enhance the quality of the soil. Therefore, you will apply the aerosol solely to the affected area, she had replied.

She correlated the AQI readings with temperature, stating that irrigation was the sole remedy.

Does utilizing a monitor contribute to a reduction in AQI levels? AQI is analogous to a temperature that can be measured with any instrument; therefore, hydrating it is the only solution, which we are also implementing,” she added.