6 new air stations to be part of CPCB network in a week: Sirsa

New Delhi: Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Tuesday that six new air quality monitoring stations would be integrated into the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) network within a week, strengthening the accuracy and scope of the air quality index (AQI) reporting.TOI reported on Monday that Delhi Pollution Control Committee had made the new continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) operational, but they were yet to be integrated with the CPCB network and the city's AQI was still being assessed using data from 40 stations.
The new stations, currently live on the DPCC portal, were announced last year, while experts alleged that they were situated in relatively greener spaces and might affect the city's average readings. The stations are located at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Isro Earth Station near Malcha Mahal (Central Ridge), Delhi Cantonment, Commonwealth Sports Complex and Netaji Subhash University of Technology (West campus).The minister said that at 46, Delhi had the highest number of CAAQMS in the country. Officials said the stations were undergoing close performance monitoring. "These new stations mark a leap in data-driven action against pollution. Live data already empowers targeted interventions and CPCB integration will ensure seamless, city-wide insights," Sirsa said.Beyond tracking PM2.5, PM10 and other key pollutants, the stations are expected to support studies on pollution's impact on flora and fauna across diverse ecosystems in the city. With 30 stations managed by DPCC and additional units operated by IMD/IITM and CPCB, Delhi's expanded network is designed to deliver hyper-local pollution readings to guide mitigation strategies. The move comes alongside parallel initiatives such as the Vayu Rakshak enforcement drive involving 100 personnel and plans to install 14 more monitoring stations.