Indore News: Relocate Air Stations To Capture Actual Pollution Level, States MPPCB

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Indore’s air quality monitoring framework has come under regulatory action after the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) identified serious deficiencies in the installation, operation, and supervision of Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS).

Following a detailed inspection conducted recently, MPPCB confirmed that the city’s reported Air Quality Index (AQI) does not accurately reflect actual pollution exposure. MPPCB has directed corrective measures, including relocation of monitoring stations to scientifically appropriate sites, before existing air quality data can be considered reliable.

The inspection revealed that a majority of monitoring stations were located inside parks, gardens, and green belts, away from high-traffic corridors and pollution hotspots. MPPCB noted that such locations significantly under-report pollution levels and distort citywide AQI averages.

In contrast, the Chhoti Gwaltoli station, situated near major transport hubs and congested roads, consistently recorded poor to unhealthy AQI levels during November and December, including PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations crossing critical thresholds.

MPPCB also flagged weak oversight by the Indore Municipal Corporation, citing absence of routine supervision, inspectionsand operational audits. Technical shortcomings were observed in calibration practices, sampling methodsand filter usage, with instances of damaged or reused filters violating prescribed protocols.

Additionally, inconsistencies were found between displayed station data and data uploaded to central servers, raising concerns over data integrity.