Navi Mumbai to get three new air quality monitors, first one to come up in Kalamboli

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has received a no objection certificate (NOC) from the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) to set up a continuous ambient air quality monitoring station (CAAQMS) in Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has received a no objection certificate (NOC) from the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) to set up a continuous ambient air quality monitoring station (CAAQMS) in Kalamboli, Navi Mumbai. MPCB has also proposed to install two more CAAQMS in Kharghar and MIDC Taloja, for which clearances are in the process.

An Overview of Vashi in Navi Mumbai. (HT PHOTO)

MPCB revealed the details in response to a Right to Information (RTI) query by environment group Waatavaran Foundation on March 8, a copy of which was accessed by HT. This development comes on the heels of several complaints from residents and interest groups in Khargar-Panvel who have been demanding a clean air action plan specifically to deal with air pollution in the region.

Bhagwan Keshbat, founder of Waatavaran Foundation, said, “Air pollution in Kharghar-Panvel-Taloja belt is significantly higher than in neighbouring Mumbai because of nearby industrial activity, especially the movement of heavy vehicles and burning of coal in factories. Residents can taste and smell the pollution in the air. It is difficult to keep your windows open in evenings.”

Since there were no official air quality monitors in the area to check these allegations, Waatavaran in December last year released findings from a month-long, independently conducted observational study. Residents living at the edges of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), the results suggested, were exposed to an air quality index (AQI) above safe limits for nearly two-thirds of the day, with peak pollution during early morning hours.

The study, which used low-cost particulate matter sensors to obtain data, found high levels of atmospheric PM2.5, especially between 6am and 8am, and average air quality above safe standards for 17 hours every day. Air quality only improved during afternoon hours.

Data from five locations — Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Taloja; Sector 13, Panvel; Navade, Taloja; Sector 7 and 36, Kharghar — showed average PM2.5 levels over 31 days to be 101.12 microgramme per cubic metre (μg/m3), which is almost twice the national safe standard of 60μg/m3, and four times the World Health Organization (WHO) standard (25μg/m3).

The installation of three new CAAQMS will strengthen Navi Mumbai’s official air quality monitor networking, taking the total count to seven monitors. At present, MPCB’s has installed such devices at Mahake Naka, Airoli (near Sahakar Bazar), and one each in Nerul Sectors 46 and 19A. The new monitors will also expand the network’s geographical reach eastward across Panvel creek where state-monitoring infrastructure has been lacking so far.

“This is an important move and we welcome this as Waatavaran strongly believes that monitoring of air quality in different parts of this belt including Kalamboli, Kharghar, Taloja MIDC and others is the very first step towards mitigating measures for air pollution,” the environment group said in a statement on Wednesday.

It is unclear, however, when these monitors will be launched. HT reached out to the MPCB’s regional officer in Kharghar, Sachin Adkar, for a comment but did not receive a response.