Indore News: MPPCB Orders Ignored, Air Stations Remain Shut

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Despite clear directions issued by the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board nearly a month ago, Indore’s air quality monitoring system continues to remain largely non-functional and unreliable.

The MPPCB had ordered relocation of air monitoring stations after inspections revealed unscientific placement, mostly inside parks and green belts, leading to chronic under-reporting of pollution levels and misleading AQI data.

However, ground reality shows no improvement. At present, only the Choti Gwaltoli air quality monitoring station is operational and regularly uploading data. Monitoring stations at Maguda Nagar, Airport area, Regional Park, Polo Ground and Vijay Nagar have not been reporting any data for over a month, raising serious concerns over transparency and regulatory oversight.

Data from Choti Gwaltoli alone indicates consistently poor air quality, with AQI levels touching 184 on Tuesday and PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations remaining well above safe limits over the past 10 days.

NOx levels have also remained alarmingly high, indicating vehicular and combustion-related pollution stress.Environmental experts warn that reliance on data from a single station cannot reflect the true pollution burden across Indore, potentially masking public health risks.Despite repeated queries raised with scientists associated with the air quality monitoring network, responses have remained evasive.

On multiple occasions, the only assurance given was that “work is in progress,” without any clear timeline or explanation for the prolonged delay. In several instances, officials did not respond at all to calls or written queries regarding the non-functional stations. This continued silence and lack of accountability have further intensified concerns about regulatory seriousness, especially when accurate air quality data is critical for public health assessment and policy action.