With the data collection by the Delhi Govt a case matter in Supreme Court¹, the pollution in Delhi is severe and hazardous already. What is surprising, and perhaps shocking was the video footage² that showed water being sprayed around air quality monitors allegedly to tamper the data. Overall, the trust in official data has fallen with the pollution levels rising³.

Policy Concerns

Every year, we talk about pollution in Delhi. Every year, we hope it will be better. And yet, here we are again — with the air we breathe turning poisonous, and the same promises hanging in the air like the smog itself. The pollution levels this year, once again, are hazardous and severe.

Some time ago, during the Delhi Assembly elections, there were at least some discussions that gave us a glimmer of hope — that maybe, just maybe, things might improve this time. But instead of solutions, now even the data itself is under doubt. That is heartbreaking.

When I saw the video of water being sprayed near air quality monitors — allegedly to lower pollution readings — I felt not just anger, but deep sadness. How did we reach a point where even the truth in our numbers can’t be trusted? This is not just about machines or monitors. It’s about trust. It’s about honesty. It’s about every citizen who still hopes the system works for them.

If pollution data can be tampered with, what else might be? Health data? Education numbers? Environmental reports? Once trust in data is gone, how can any policy stand on such shaky ground?

This incident must be taken seriously — not brushed aside as another headline. Policies are built on data, and when the data is false, everything collapses. The allegations must be thoroughly probed, not just to fix responsibility, but to remind citizens that truth still matters.