The capital city is set to expand its air quality monitoring footprint, adding six new continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) in greener, relatively cleaner pockets of Delhi. The rollout, originally meant to be completed by August, faced tendering hurdles but is now back on track, with commissioning expected by January 15, Delhi’s environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Thursday.
Once operational, the total number of stations under the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) will rise from 24 to 30, while the city’s overall monitoring network will expand from 40 to 46.
Sixteen of the currently operational stations are run by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), eight by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and two by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
The six new stations under DPCC will be operated and maintained by a third-party vendor, which will carry out 24×7 operations, routine and preventive maintenance, periodic calibration as per recognised protocols, security, and continuous technical support, with stringent penalties for prolonged downtime or non-performance.
On April 26, Hindustan Times reported that the monitoring stations are being strategically placed in greener or low-pollution zones, a move that may lower the city’s overall average air quality index (AQI).
Three of the six stations are proposed within green academic campuses: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), and Netaji Subhash University (West Campus). The remaining three will come up deep inside the Central Ridge at the ISRO Earth station near Malcha Mahal, Delhi Cantonment, and the Commonwealth Games Sports Complex in east Delhi.
An environment department official said the selected locations are “free of any encumbrances for the winning bidders,” and that the sites have no construction or legal impediments that could delay deployment.
Sirsa told Hindustan Times there had been delays in setting up the stations. An initial tender issued in June attracted only one bidder, which was rejected. The DPCC then issued a second tender, which concluded successfully.
“The bidding process was completed successfully and this time, the work order has also been awarded. Work will be completed in two months and we plan to commission the stations by January 15,” Sirsa said.
“By expanding our high-quality monitoring network, Delhi is building a stronger safety net around the national capital and moving towards cleaner air through evidence-based decisions,” he added.
Sirsa first announced the plan on April 15, with the initial deadline set for August, so the stations would be fully operational by winter. The revised schedule now has commissioning set for the peak pollution season.
According to tender documents, the winning bidders will operate and maintain the stations for the next 10 years. Once the contract is finalised, the DPCC and the environment department will hand over the six sites for construction, operationalisation, and long-term upkeep.
Sirsa said the expanded network will measure a comprehensive range of pollutants and meteorological parameters. “The pollutants measured will include particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), sulphur dioxide (SO2), oxides of nitrogen (NO, NO2, NOₓ), ammonia (NH3), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3) and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene). The new stations will also measure wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, rainfall and solar radiation,” the minister said.