India, Oct. 26 -- While Pune recorded "moderate" air quality levels during this year's Diwali festivities-a development welcomed by many-environmental experts have raised concerns over the reliability and completeness of the data. Several air pollution monitoring stations appeared inactive on the Sameer app, the official mobile platform launched by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for real-time air quality updates, raising questions about the accuracy of the overall assessment.

Parisar, a Pune-based NGO involved in air pollution awareness, conducted an analysis of air quality over the four main Diwali days, from October 20 to 23. The findings revealed a mixed picture, with moderate pollution levels reported on three of the four...