How Gaps In Data, Monitoring Are Crippling Pollution Control Boards

New Delhi: Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and state pollution control boards in Haryana, UP and Rajasthan in NCR suffer from gaps in staffing, monitoring infrastructure, data reliability and enforcement, a report by an expert committee constituted by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has said.The report, prepared following a Supreme Court direction, calls for an overhaul of the functioning of anti-pollution regulators, with the use of modern technology, regular calibration of monitoring stations, quality audits and improved laboratories.The report, dated July 25 that was recently shared, was prepared after Supreme Court in May last year observed that it was necessary to examine the functioning of the state pollution control boards, as well as the pollution control committees as they may be using age-old technology and equipment.The committee found that while air quality monitoring networks have expanded, data reliability remains a concern due to irregular calibration, auditing and quality assurance of Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS). The committee noted that out of the 84 stations, most measure six to eight out of the 12 parameters specified under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards."Data reliability in air quality monitoring is crucial for accurate calculations and assessments of ambient air quality. Therefore, there is a need to improve the data reliability of CAAQMS operated by CPCB, DPCC, IMD/IITM, HSPCB, UPPCB, MoHUA and RSPCB in NCR. The respective agencies should ensure that the stations are operating as per the CPCB guidelines. They should also ensure regular calibration, maintenance and audit of the CAAQMS and maintain an online audit logbook," the report said.It recommended annual third-party performance audits and the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning tools for real-time data verification."Several gaps persist in the manual monitoring of ambient air quality in Delhi-NCR. Regular calibration and auditing of manual monitoring stations, as mandated by CPCB protocols, are not regularly conducted," the report said.The committee also recommended that the state pollution control boards and DPCC may set up an Air Quality Integrated Control and Command Centre, with a GIS platform in consultation with CPCB, and a dashboard displaying real-time AQI and air pollutant concentrations, meteorological parameters and AQI forecasting with an early warning system. Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at think tank Envirocatalysts, said this report is a critical roadmap that identifies the technological and institutional gaps hindering Delhi-NCR's clean air goals. "By advocating for a transition towards systematic, aggressive emission load and activity tracking, it addresses the very core of effective air quality management. As the report was finalised in July 2025, I hope its recommendations, ranging from AI-driven data verification to modernised industrial and vehicular monitoring, have already been adopted, with corrective measures now actively under way for ground implementation to ensure a data-driven and healthier future for the region," he said.