NEW DELHI: Gurugram, ranked the third most polluted city in India, has been relying on a single air quality monitoring station to determine its Air Quality Index (AQI) for the past three weeks, raising concerns over the accuracy and transparency of pollution data in the city.
Although the city has four air quality monitors — Teri Gram, Vikas Sadan, Gwal Pahari, and Sector 51 — only the Gwal Pahari station has been operational since April 4. The data from this station, located on the outskirts near the Aravalli green belt, is being used to calculate the AQI for the entire city. Local environmental advocacy group Citizens for Clean Air says this is not a new issue.
The group had raised concerns with the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) in January 2021 about inconsistent and inaccurate readings from monitoring stations. “Data had been missing from the stations on several days. We also found evidence of erroneous or tampered readings. Despite flagging the issue, no action was taken. It’s a clear sign that public health is not a priority,” said Ruchika Sethi, a member of the group.
According to Vijay Choudhary, regional officer (south) at HSPCB, the board is in the process of appointing a new agency to maintain the monitoring stations. “Until then, regional officers will operate the stations. We are procuring essential materials,” he said.