The air quality monitoring equipment installed in five different locations across Nashik by Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) are incapable of keeping a check on the entire city. This makes the situation a little worse as according to a recent finding, Nashik — with a population of around 18 lakh — was among the four cities that crossed the air pollution limit.
The air quality monitoring stations are installed at Udyog Bhavan (MPCB's regional office), MIDC Satpur, Nashik Municipal Corporation building (East division) in Old Nashik, behind mayor's official residence and in KTHM College.
"The air quality monitoring stations can record maximum up to a two-km radius from its installation point. The apparatus at KTHM College campus — Automated Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station — was installed recently under the Smart City project. The MPCB has outsourced the monitoring work and we have only provided space. It gives data every 15 minutes. The average daily PM limit should be 100 microgram per meter cube but generally, we have it around 80 microgram per meter cube," said DnyaneshwarKhandbahale of KTHM's environment department that monitors air quality.
He added that throughout the day readings vary and generally winter mornings show higher reading due to fog. On Tuesday, air quality was 79 microgram per meter cube in the evening, 130 microgram per meter cube on October 28, on October 29 it was 149 microgram per meter cube at 9.45 am and on November 1 it was 146 microgram per meter cube in the morning.
Agreeing that the number of air quality monitoring machines is insufficient, Khandbahale said, "The machines were installed 10-12 years ago and since then the city has grown. There has been development on either side of the river. Hence, more number of machines is needed but this is a policy decision of the MPCB," he said.
Environmentalist Rajesh Pandit said, "The state transport buses emit a lot of black smoke and pollute the air. It is doubtful if they even have a PUC (pollution under control) certificate. There are around 7.5 lakh vehicles in the city as on March 31, which also add to the pollution to some extent."
An MPCB officer said that the air monitoring equipment were not sufficient to keep a check on the pollution and they would consider proposing more machines but that the city's air quality was still well under control.
