NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Monday sought details within seven days of the quality and efficiency of AQI measuring equipment installed by Delhi Pollution Control Committee, following allegations of data blackout and attempts to keep AQI readings low by sprinkling water around the measuring stations.While amicus curiae and senior advocate Aparajita Singh’s claims about data outage and sprinklers deployed around AQI monitoring stations were countered by additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati, who said the equipment was among the world’s best, a bench of CJI B R Gavai and Justices K Vinod Chandran and N V Anjaria directed Delhi govt to provide details of the air quality monitors by Monday next.

SC: Stopping vehicles and construction not feasibleBhati said sprinklers are deployed across the city and blamed political motives behind the circulation of videos about water guns being used around the stations. The CJI said he has seen the sprinklers around SC too.With the pollution levels remaining in the very poor to hazardous levels, the bench directed the chief secretaries of Punjab and Haryana to scrupulously adhere to measures required to prevent stubble burning, as per the Commission on Air Quality Management’s Nov 13 letter to them.Punjab govt wanted the Centre and the states which suffer pollution from farm fires to pay incentives to farmers in a graded form to dissuade them from burning stubble.Another senior advocate, G Sankaranarayanan compared the AQI standards of India with California and said in India the scale is calibrated at a higher level to show even hazardous quality air as satisfactory. He said time has come to take harsh measures like stopping all vehicles and construction work.The bench said this suggestion forgets to balance the interests of lakhs of migrant labourers who come from various states to work in Delhi and earn their livelihood. “Environmental concerns must be balanced with developmental issues,” the CJI-led bench said.SC asked Bhati to place on record the comprehensive plan of action which the govts have worked out to gradually reduce stubble burning incidents in the NCR states.