Mumbai: BMC is planning to change the places of existing 'Air Quality monitoring Systems' (AQMS). There are 28 AQMS machines in Mumbai. Out of that BMC has only 5 machines of its own. Remaining are owned by SAFAR. According to BMC officials, the machines have been installed in the wrong places. Therefore, they don't give correct AQI of the area and it affects the overall calculation of AQI in Mumbai.
As the air quality of Mumbai was deteriorating the Union government and High Court had taken serious note of it and reprimanded BMC for not taking any measures. Thereafter, in the month of October BMC had issued 27 points guidelines to bring down air pollution in the city. The BMC study alleged that there are five thousand development works going on in Mumbai, which are contributing to air pollution. BMC'S guidelines put various restrictions on the development work.
Inspection of places where air monitoring machines have been installed
BMC's environment department is also working to bring air pollution down. Therefore, its officers are visiting the places where air monitoring machines have been installed. They found that they were installed in the wrong places and there are local issues which show the high air pollution measurement.
An officer said that one AQMS was installed outside hotel Chimney at Sewri. The entire kitchen smoke flows on the machine, Therefore, AQI of Sewri shows more. Similarly, a Tiles cutting workshop was at Marol area, which was creating dust,when BMC stopped that workshop, AQI had fallen down at Marol.
Officer further said that he had noticed high AQI at Bhandup, when BMC officers visited and inspected the area, they found some construction workers and watchmen had lit the bonfire below the AQMS machine.
On another visit,near Bandra East, the officer noticed that some trenching work was going on near 'Nanda deep Garden' and the vehicles were blowing dust on the monitoring machine, when that work had been stopped the AQI came down.
Therefore, BMC feels there is a need to change AQMS places and install them in the right places to measure real and accurate air quality. BMC is planning SAFAR to change the location of machines.
