NEW DELHI: Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa has announced that the Delhi government will install six new ambient air quality monitoring stations across the capital by June 30. The move is aimed at expanding the city’s air monitoring network to improve real-time tracking and response to pollution.
The new stations will come up at prominent locations including Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Delhi Cantonment, Netaji Subhash University (West Campus), and the Commonwealth Games Sports Complex.
“These new stations will help us track pollution patterns more accurately and guide our response with real-time data. The installation process is underway and we are targeting completion by June 30,” Sirsa said. With the addition of these six stations, the total number of monitoring units in the capital will increase to 46.
The initiative is part of the BJP-led government’s broader strategy to bolster Delhi’s air quality infrastructure and better prepare for recurring episodes of smog and poor air during the winter season.
“We will not wait until winter to take action. Our work to purify Delhi has already started, and as part of this, we will also add new ambient air quality monitoring stations,” Sirsa said. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta had first announced the plan to set up the new stations in March. The city’s current network of 40 monitoring units includes locations such as Alipur, Anand Vihar, Aya Nagar, Bawana, Chandni Chowk, IGI Airport, and ITO.
However, gaps remain in the coverage. Several densely populated areas still lack adequate monitoring, while some existing stations are located in sparsely inhabited zones such as the Asola Bhatti Forest and Siri Fort, raising concerns about the representativeness of air quality data.