Mumbai: The BMC and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) will carry out a joint inspection of air quality monitoring stations manned by the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). However, the civic authorities have warned that electricity at these centres will be disconnected if they do not reply to its second reminder.
SAFAR air-quality monitoring stations
Mumbai has nine SAFAR air-quality monitoring stations managed by the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The MPCB had previously raised concerns about the accuracy of air quality index readings of SAFAR. Last week the BMC had sent a letter to SAFAR informing it that the civic body would carry out a joint inspection with MPCB. However, the BMC has not received any response from SAFAR.
“The maintenance contract for the monitoring station has not yet been renewed. Also, the gas cylinders are faulty and the station is not maintained properly. We will be sending a second reminder to SAFAR. If they still don’t reply to us, than we will be left with no option than to cut their electric supply,” an official from the Environment Department said.
Gufran Baig, director of SAFAR, was not available for comment.
SAFAR stations have been recording air quality since 2015. The civic body has started its own air quality monitoring stations at Byculla, Ghatkopar (East), Kandivali (West), Govandi (West) and Sewree (East). The stations have been making recordings for the past two months, sources said.
He claimed credit for the ‘Diwali Bonus’ announced for the BEST workers saying that the decision was taken within 12 hours after he raised the issue through social media posts.
