The problem of finding source of pollution persists

Other limitations include data only being available on the website for a period of four days, without having any access to an archive. This means one cannot study the source break-up on previous days.

- Jasjeev Gandhiok

NEW DELHI: On November 18, as Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) soared to a staggering 494 -the city's second-most polluted day on record - questions loomed over the reasons behind the sudden spike. Yet, pinpointing the exact sources of pollution proved elusive, as key studies and real-time data systems remain outdated or defunct, leaving a critical void in the battle against toxic air.

Over the past four years, at least three key studies aimed at real-time pollution source identification have either been halted or rendered obsolete.

The Delhi government's real-time source apportionment analysis, which sought to provide a granular understanding of pollution sources, has been inactive since November last year. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has struggled to find a suitable institute to operate the equipment needed for the study.