Solely two of Gurugram’s 4 steady ambient air high quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) have been operational on Sunday, with the Teri Gram and Vikas Sadan models remaining non-functional resulting from technical points and delays in upkeep handover, officers stated. The town’s operational stations — Sector 51 and Gwal Pahari — recorded a poor air high quality index (AQI) of 258, in line with the Central Air pollution Management Board (CPCB) each day nationwide bulletin.
Based on CPCB’s dwell dashboard, the Teri Gram station, which had functioned partially between October 3 and 14, stopped recording PM10, PM2.5, NO2, CO, ozone, and benzene ranges from October 15 — the day its upkeep tender was granted. Its final recorded worth was PM10 at 110.78 µg/m³ on Tuesday final week. “Attributable to points with the analyzers within the superior sensors that feed into the AQI, the info couldn’t be correctly loaded,” an official stated, requesting anonymity.
A senior official on the Haryana State Air pollution Management Board (HSPCB) stated two separate tenders have been awarded to personal corporations on October 14 and 15 for the operation and upkeep of CAAQMS in Gurugram. 5 days after the tenders have been finalised, two stations — together with Teri Gram — remained non-functional. Earlier, HSPCB’s regional workplace had been briefly sustaining operations whereas awaiting tender approval.
“The air high quality screens made operational after six months had persistent points with their batteries, UPS, motors, filters and light-weight sensors,” one other senior official stated, including that the sensors have been being repaired earlier than being handed again to personal corporations. Officers added that two France-based firms beforehand managed 29 CAAQMS throughout Haryana till their contracts expired in December 2024. Since then, frequent interruptions have been reported in Gurugram’s stations managed by HSPCB.
CPCB knowledge confirmed a number of interruptions since September 30 at three Gurugram stations. Forward of Diwali, the Vikas Sadan station recorded solely PM2.5 ranges, with no readings of PM10, ozone, benzene, or toluene between October 7 and 13. The station displayed “inadequate knowledge” till October 18, when AQI values reappeared, reaching 167 and above. Equally, on the Sector 51 station, PM2.5 knowledge was lacking between October 4 and 15, and was restored on October 16, when AQI ranges touched 395 µg/m³ round 10am.
The Gwal Pahari station, managed by the India Meteorological Division (IMD), was the one one exhibiting constant readings, with PM2.5 reaching 102.44 µg/m³ on Sunday — over 50% larger than the secure restrict of 60 µg/m³. “Whereas the tenders to handle two stations at Sector 51 and Vikas Sadan have been awarded to an previous agency, a confusion among the many two corporations about who’s going to handle these additionally slowed down the method,” the senior official added.
Based on Dr Anumita Roychowdhury, director of the Centre for Science and Setting (CSE), the info gaps in air high quality monitoring would impede authorities from drawing a long-term comparative pattern for coverage motion on air air pollution. “For air high quality monitoring to turn out to be performance-linked, we’d like sturdy reporting and auditing methods,” Roychowdhury earlier advised PR.
Repeated makes an attempt by PR to succeed in surroundings engineer on the HSPCB regional workplace in Gurugram, went unanswered.
