Gurugram to install 15 more air quality monitors

GURUGRAM: The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) will soon install 15 new air quality monitoring stations at various locations in the city. According to the development body, the three existing stations — one installed by the Meteorological department and other two by Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) — are not enough to get a clear picture of specific factors affecting the city’s air quality. Given that the cost of installing one of these monitors is quite high, the stations will only measure PM2.5 and PM10, said sources.
“The levels of PM2.5 and PM10 will give us a good idea of air quality, and will come at a relatively lower cost than fully equipped monitors,” said MD Sinha, additional CEO, GMDA. He added that the authority was currently in talks with some private agencies for the air monitoring stations, and that they should be in place within a couple of months.

“We’re trying to get private agencies to provide the air monitoring stations pro bono. That way, the authority won’t have to bear any cost for installing them,” said Sinha. The locations of the stations have not been decided .

As of now, one air monitoring station is in Civil Lines near Vikas Sadan, while the other two installed recently are in Manesar and near National Institute of Solar Energy. Delhi has around fully equipped 36 air monitoring stations. “Due to high construction activity in some parts of the city, AQI is likely to be much worse than that recorded at Vikas Sadan. Hence, more stations will be useful,” said an official.