Mumbai to get 11 new air stations to monitor pollution

MUMBAI: Mumbai is set to have one of the largest air monitoring network among metro cities as 11 new air monitoring stations for the city were unveiled on Wednesday. The continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) will help citizens know the real air quality of their area. The monitoring stations will soon be connected with the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board’s (MPCB) server following which citizens can access information on their website about the level of pollution in their areas.           

These stations are set up at Borivali, Kandivali, Mulund, Vile Parle, Kalina, Kurla, Worli, Powai, Sion and Colaba. “Apart from Mumbai, real time air monitoring stations are also set up in Navi Mumbai, Vasai-Virar, Thane and Kalyan-Dombivali. All the air monitoring stations for Mumbai has been commissioned too. It will soon be connected to the MPCB server,” said Dr. P Anbalagan, member secretary, MPCB.  

At present, Mumbai has one working real time air monitoring station in Bandra and other seven stations by System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). Several other cities including Nagpur, Pune, Amravati, etc. have now got CAAQMS in Maharashtra.