Delhi Government Announces Major Expansion of Air Quality Monitoring Network
The Delhi government has unveiled plans to significantly strengthen its air quality monitoring infrastructure across the National Capital Region. Following the inauguration of six new Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) stations on Monday, bringing the city's total to 46, authorities have confirmed an ambitious roadmap for further expansion.
Strategic Expansion to Eliminate Data Gaps
Officials have revealed that fourteen additional CAAQMS stations will be installed in Delhi during the next financial year. The primary objective is to establish a comprehensive network ensuring at least one monitoring station for every 25 square kilometers of the capital's area. Currently, assessment teams are evaluating specific locations across Delhi to determine optimal sites for these fourteen new installations.
This expansion addresses critical findings from a Centre for Science and Environment report which highlighted substantial coverage gaps in the existing network. The report indicated that current stations cover only 26% of Delhi's area within a 2-kilometer radius, leaving a concerning 74% data shadow. Even within a 5-kilometer radius, coverage reaches just 75%, meaning a quarter of the capital lacks direct monitoring data.
Regional Coordination Across NCR States
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has announced parallel expansion efforts in neighboring states. Ten new stations are currently being established in Uttar Pradesh, seven in Haryana, and four in Rajasthan as part of a coordinated regional approach to air quality management.
This regional initiative responds to previous reports highlighting uneven station distribution across Delhi-NCR. While Delhi maintains the highest number of air quality monitoring stations among Indian cities, their distribution has been inconsistent, with particularly sparse coverage in southwest and northwest peripheral areas. The situation in NCR cities has been similarly inadequate, with twenty-one cities having just a single monitoring station each.
New Spatial Norms for Comprehensive Coverage
The CAQM has established revised spatial norms to guide the network expansion. Beyond existing population-based standards for Delhi and contiguous cities including Ghaziabad, Noida, Greater Noida, Faridabad, and Sonipat, new criteria mandate approximately one station every 25 square kilometers in high-priority areas. Other district headquarters and cities will follow a standard of one station per 50 square kilometers.
"Coverage in peri-urban and suburban areas has been identified as critical for assessing inflow and outflow of pollution and understanding the impact of urban sprawl on regional air quality," emphasized the CAQM in their official statement.
Transforming NCR's Monitoring Infrastructure
Based on these new criteria, the CAQM has determined that 46 additional stations are required to strengthen air quality monitoring infrastructure across Delhi-NCR. This includes 16 stations in Haryana, 15 in Uttar Pradesh, 14 in Delhi, and one in Rajasthan.
Once all planned stations become operational, the Delhi-NCR region will boast a total of 157 air quality monitoring stations. This represents a transformative enhancement of the region's capacity for spatial coverage, improved data reliability, and robust scientific assessment of air pollution patterns.
The strengthened framework will particularly benefit peripheral districts that have historically been under-served by monitoring infrastructure, ensuring more accurate, comprehensive, and uniform air quality data across the entire National Capital Region.
