Why were Mumbai's air quality stations offline?

Systemic issues, lack of maintenance, and accountability problems have led to prolonged outages of air quality stations in Mumbai.

How does non-functional stations affect Mumbai's AQI?

When stations in pollution hotspots are offline, city-wide AQI averages are skewed and do not reflect the true air pollution levels.

What are the pollution hotspots in Mumbai?

Key pollution hotspots in Mumbai include Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), Worli, Sewri, and Kandivali East, which have historically recorded high pollution levels.

Home / Environment / Mumbai Air Quality: Stations Offline, Data Skewed

Mumbai Air Quality: Stations Offline, Data Skewed

24 Dec

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Summary

Most air quality stations in Mumbai were non-functional during a key period.
Offline stations included chronic pollution hotspots like BKC and Worli.
Experts warn missing data significantly skews city-wide air quality averages.

Mumbai Air Quality: Stations Offline, Data Skewed

Between November 15 and December 23, a significant portion of Mumbai's 28 air quality monitoring stations were non-operational, raising concerns about the accuracy of reported air quality data. During this period, an average of only 17 to 19 stations were functional, leading to AQI readings fluctuating between 91 and 138, categorized as 'moderate'. However, these averages excluded data from crucial pollution hotspots such as Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), Worli, and Sewri, which historically record higher pollution levels.

Experts highlight that such data gaps can severely distort city-wide pollution averages. Gufran Beig, founder project director of SAFAR, stated that stations not adhering to siting norms and missing data from high-emission zones render AQI determinations technically flawed. In mid-November, for instance, the BKC station reported 'very poor' AQI levels exceeding 280 on some days, a stark contrast to the generally moderate readings obtained without its data.