AQI worsens, tech glitch delays data

The air quality in the Capital deteriorated further to the “very poor” category on Sunday after two days of recording “poor” air.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

The 24-hour average air quality index (AQI) on Sunday was logged at 315, as compared to 292 on Saturday, according to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.

The CPCB's daily bulletin of 4pm was released at Ilpm on Sunday, due to a technical glitch. Data on CPCB's Sameer app was also not updated after noon. Officials said while 39 stations in the city were active and gathering data, a server glitch lead to no updates in both CPCB's website and app.

“Our stations are functional but there was a glitch, which was not allowing the servers to be updated,” said a senior CPCB official, involved with the air laboratory.

Despite the server issue, hourly readings for all eight pollutants used to calculate the AQI — including PMIO, PM2.5, NO2, $02, CO, 03, NH3, and Pb — were available on the Delhi Pollution Control Committee's (DPCC) website, indicating that data was still being gathered.

Such similar glitches have been witnessed in the recent times too. On January 1, data for AQI stations across Delhi-NCR was unavailable due to a similar server issue. On November 14, 2023, data for several hours was only available for 9 out of the 40 stations, with DPCC’s stations not being able to share or transmit data to the CPCB.