At present, AAQM stations are working at the office of the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) in Sector-5 here and IDL Colony at Fertilizer Township and Dalmiya Institute of Industrial and Scientific Research (DISIR) near Rajgangpur town. Efforts are underway to set up such stations in IDC area at Kalunga, Kuanrmunda and Bonai under National Air Quality Monitoring Programme. The Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) has also one online AAQM station at Sector-2 and three others are installed inside the RSP campus.

Annual status report on ambient air quality prepared by the OSPCB in 2015 stated that average availability of PM10 (10 microgram particulate matter per cubic meter) at Sector-5 is 104 against the prescribed standard of 60 while it is 77 and 117 in IDL area and Rajgangpur respectively. Similarly, PM 2.5 level at Sector-5, IDC and Rajgangpur are 43, 54 and 54 respectively against the standard limit of 40. The OSPCB report in August also accused the RSP of falling to meet air quality standard.

Pollution level continues to be on the higher side despite the fact that manufacturing operations of private sector industries have been reduced by at least 50 per cent amid prolonged recession while there has been drastic fall in iron ore, dolomite and limestone mining operations. Only coal mining operations of Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) in remote Hemgir block are relatively normal. Construction activities at scattered locations including four-laning of Sambalpur-Rourkela State Highway-10 continue to be major factor for dust pollution.

Regional Officer of the OSPCB MukeshMahaling hoped the new AAQM stations would start operation in next three weeks to ensure better air quality monitoring at the left out industrial clusters.

Air pollution increases during winter due to drop in dispersion of particulate matter (PM) triggered by fall in ambient temperature and mist holds PM for long in the air, he added.