Gupta’s statement asserting that AQI “is a temperature that you can measure with any instrument”has triggered widespread ridicule online. Former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal posted the video clip with a pointed comment: “When did this new science appear where AQI has now become temperature?” He also accused the government of spraying water near AQI monitoring towers to artificially lower pollution readings.
The controversy intensified when Gupta defended her administration’s strategy during the same interview. Responding to allegations of manipulating AQI levels, she argued that critics were targeting the very systems they had installed. “A hotspot is a place where pollution is highest. What is the solution? You spray water there to settle dust and dirt,” she said.
She further reiterated her stance that AQI is “a temperature-like measurement” and maintained that water sprinkling is the “only practical method” to reduce particulate matter in heavily polluted zones. The explanation, however, has drawn scrutiny from air-quality experts, who maintain that AQI is a composite index based on pollutant concentration, not a temperature parameter.
The episode comes amid a fresh phase of political confrontation in Delhi, with AAP leaders alleging that Gupta’s administration is mishandling pollution control and misinforming the public. The BJP, meanwhile, has yet to issue a detailed response to the criticism.
With winter pollution peaking and public pressure mounting, the debate over accountability and scientific accuracy is likely to dominate the capital’s political discourse in the days ahead.
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