BMC to outsource Mumbai’s air quality monitoring

The company will undertake a range of key tasks, including monitoring Mumbai’s ambient air quality and preparation of the city’s annual Environmental Status Report (ESR), which the BMC is required to submit before July 31 every year

MUMBAI: The critical job of monitoring Mumbai’s air quality will be outsourced to a private company for a year due to a shortage of scientific personnel at the civic-run Air Quality Monitoring and Research Laboratory in Santacruz. Justifying the move, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) administration said the shortage has compromised the laboratory’s ability to perform its responsibilities. This was stated in a proposal passed by the civic Standing Committee on Wednesday.

Air pollution has surged in Mumbai, leading to a host of health complications for residents. (HT Photo)

The company will undertake a range of key tasks, including monitoring Mumbai’s ambient air quality and preparation of the city’s annual Environmental Status Report (ESR), which the BMC is required to submit before July 31 every year. The laboratory also conducts special air quality surveys in response to citizens’ complaints.

The private company selected will collect air samples from the city’s monitoring stations, prepare laboratory reagents, analyse samples, operate and visit the BMC’s four manual ambient air monitoring stations, five continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations, and mobile air quality monitoring van. The agency will also prepare analytical reports and assist in compiling the annual Environmental Status Report.

Prabhakar Shinde, standing committee chairperson, said appointing a private agency would improve the efficacy of monitoring air pollution levels. “The administration says vacancies and shortage of workers will be overcome by new appointments to make Mumbai pollution-free,” remarked Shinde.

Objecting to the proposal, Ashraf Azmi, Congress group leader in the BMC, said, “They have not appointed 51 workers and have only 11 in their environment department to monitor, with no department head. Moreover, these workers have been imported from solid waste management department. Our contention is that they want to gradually finish off every department with permanent staff by outsourcing the work,” he said.

The BMC had initially floated a tender in January 2025, but cancelled the process after the lowest bid exceeded the estimated cost. A fresh tender was issued in December 2025, attracting bids from five companies. After technical scrutiny, only two firms qualified for financial evaluation and are being considered.

The proposal notes that the contract is purely technical and does not involve any civil construction work. Since the work is classified as revenue expenditure, the BMC has earmarked ₹1 crore in its 2026-27 budget, with the remaining sum to be provided in the revised budget for 2027-28.