Are bureaucratic and operational inefficiencies compromising Mumbai’s ability to tackle one of its most pressing environmental challenges? This question resonates among air quality experts, environmentalists, analysts, and citizens. For the past two years, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and BMC have pushed for recalibration and relocation of SAFAR AQI monitoring stations, while the latter has defended its adherence to international and scientific standards. Compounding this issue, several monitoring stations have reportedly been offline, either entirely or for most of the day for months, disrupting accurate tracking of air quality trends.

A 2024 analysis of data from all 30 AQI monitoring stations revealed significant inconsistencies and gaps in Mumbai’s AQI readings, raising concerns about the credibility of the city’s overall pollution data. As a result, what residents perceive in reality may starkly differ from what the indices report, undermining effective policy and citizen awareness efforts to combat pollution.