Vizag lacks air quality monitorning infra for real-time data

Air contamination levels surged dangerously successful the second portion of 2025 and aboriginal 2026 successful Visakhapatnam, yet the metropolis has lone 1 real-time aerial prime monitoring station, making it hard to supply a due speechmaking of contamination levels.

This infrastructure spread is stark, arsenic the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) norms mandate to person astatine slightest 5 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (CAAQM) stations to guarantee close nationalist information data. These stations indispensable beryllium acceptable up crossed 5 antithetic categories of locations— 2 stations successful residential areas, and 1 each successful high-traffic area, commercialized area, and concern area.

Currently, the lone presumption is located astatine the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) bureau successful Dwarakanagar and falls nether the class of high-traffic area. The metropolis inactive needs 4 much stations successful the remaining categories— residential, commercial, and concern areas to supply a wide picutre of real-time aerial quality.

Presently, the CPCB relies solely connected information from the azygous presumption (located astatine the GVMC office) to supply real-time aerial prime information of Visakhapatnam connected its authoritative website. Residents predominant the CPCB website to cheque the city’s aerial quality, portion besides checking it connected their astute devices.

Speaking to The Hindu connected Thursday, Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) associated main biology technologist S. Shankar Naik astatine Visakhapatnam zonal office, said: “Yes, we person lone 1 CAAQM presumption successful Visakhapatnam against the 5 stations required arsenic per CPCB norms. We are successful talks with our higher authorities to acceptable up the remaining ones successful a phased manner. Depending connected the requirements, to acceptable up each presumption we would necessitate astatine slightest implicit ₹1 crore plus.”

Mr. Naik further added that though the metropolis does not person capable CAAQM stations arsenic per CPCB norms, we person 8 manual stations successful antithetic parts of the city. However, for real-time data, these 5 CAAQM stations play a important role. He asked residents to proceed checking the CPCB website for updates connected the city’s aerial quality.