DPCC initiates process for 13 new air quality stns in Capital

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has initiated the process of installing 13 new Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) across the capital, and the stations are likely to be commissioned before winter, officials said

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has initiated the process of installing 13 new Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) across the capital, and the stations are likely to be commissioned before winter, officials said.

Once operational, the additional stations will strengthen real-time pollution tracking and provide more granular data for policymakers, researchers and enforcement agencies.

Officials said the move aims to improve the city’s air quality monitoring coverage by reducing the distance between monitoring stations to around five kilometers. Once operational, the additional stations will strengthen real-time pollution tracking and provide more granular data for policymakers, researchers and enforcement agencies.

The DPCC will be hiring the agency for the supply, installation, commissioning and 10-year operation and maintenance of 13 CAAQMS, officials said.

The proposal comes nearly nine years after Delhi last expanded its network of continuous monitoring stations. The capital currently has one of the country’s largest air quality monitoring networks, jointly operated by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), DPCC and the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

“The project requires continuous monitoring of key pollutants, including PM2.5, PM10, sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen oxides (NO-NO₂-NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O₃), ammonia (NH₃) and BTEX compounds, while ensuring uninterrupted data availability,” said an official.

The additional stations are intended to plug monitoring gaps in several parts of the city and generate hyperlocal pollution data, particularly during the winter months when Delhi experiences a sharp deterioration in air quality due to a combination of local emissions and adverse meteorological conditions.

“The new stations will help us capture pollution levels more accurately and support timely interventions, especially during the winter season,” another DPCC official said.

The selected agency is expected to be finalised within a couple of months and will have another month to procure and set up the monitoring systems. It will also maintain the machines for 10 years and submit monthly as well as other periodic reports, officials said.