Mumbai: BMC, MPCB to inspect AQI monitoring stations

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) have decided to inspect all Air Quality Index (AQI) monitoring stations in Mumbai. The development comes after the MPCB alleged that the AQI recorded at stations manned by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) was inaccurate.

Last week, the BMC sent a letter to SAFAR, a national initiative under the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Government of India, notifying them of the civic body's intention to conduct a joint inspection. However, there has been no response from SAFAR, officials have said.

"There have been many complaints about these monitoring stations. The maintenance contract for these monitoring station has not been renewed. Additionally, the gas cylinders are found to be faulty, and the station is not being adequately maintained. In the event of no response, we may have no choice but to proceed with severing electricity supply to the stations," said a BMC official.