Mumbai: Corroded gear giving wrong AQI data, says Deepak Kesarkar

Air quality in the city has been poor for the past few days. File pic

The state government is now poised to seek changes in monitoring equipment and devices for accurate air pollution readings. Deepak Kesarkar, the guardian minister, stated that they will approach the central ministry due to the equipment's susceptibility to corrosion in Mumbai's salty and humid air, which results in inaccurate information.

The ongoing conflict between the local administration and SAFAR over elevated air pollution readings in Mumbai is set to escalate to Delhi. The complex issue of air pollution in the city has been under discussion for the past few days. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) accused the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR) of providing inaccurate air quality data, while SAFAR dismissed MPCB's allegations as unfounded and baseless.

SAFAR says it has been delivering AQI information for Delhi, Pune, and Ahmedabad without any problems before. File Pic/Shadab Khan

SAFAR also noted that it has been delivering Air Quality Index (AQI) information for Delhi, Pune, and Ahmedabad without any prior allegations. Kesarkar, said, "The city's air is unique in its humidity and salinity, unlike other cities. The equipment in the AQI centres may corrode quickly and require maintenance to provide accurate air quality data. We will raise this issue with the central ministry to seek a solution."

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) oversees the SAFAR system. Even last year, when Mumbai's Air Quality Index reached higher pollution levels, MPCB had raised similar concerns. They had requested the relocation of monitoring units, stating that SAFAR's CAAQMS installations were situated in areas known for higher traffic-related emissions compared to other locations.

A meeting held by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) with SAFAR and the state pollution control board on February 7 to discuss the relocation of air monitoring units remained inconclusive. SAFAR has installed nine air monitoring units within BMC's jurisdiction, with monitors located in BKC, Chembur, Worli, Colaba, Bhandup, Andheri, Borivli, Malad, and Mazgaon.

Feb 7
Day inclusive meeting between BMC and SAFAR was held