Parliament Question: AQI monitoring stations in Delhi

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2294 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.03.2026 AQI monitoring stations in Delhi 2294. SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE: Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that several AQI monitoring stations in Delhi are situated in low-pollution or residential zones instead of industrial or high-traffic areas; (b) whether Government has assessed the adequacy and placement of such stations and if so, the details thereof; (c) if not, the reasons therefor; (d) the number of AQI monitoring stations upgraded or newly established during the last five years, along with the funds sanctioned, allocated, disbursed and utilised, year-wise; and (e) the details of plans or proposals for setting up additional AQI monitoring stations in rural and peri urban areas, along with their current status? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH) (a) to (e): CPCB has issued guidelines for establishing Ambient Air Quality Monitoring stations namely, “Guidelines for the Measurement of Ambient Air Pollutants (Volume-I: Guidelines for Manual Sampling & Analyses, and Volume-II: Guidelines for Real Time Sampling & Analyses)”. Further, CPCB has also issued “Technical Handbook for Installation, Maintenance, Calibration, Data Connectivity and Data Quality check of Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (Real Time)”. Concerned State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees install and operate monitoring stations to collect ambient air quality including expansion of air quality monitoring network, in line with the criteria issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). 46 Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations have been set up in Delhi, out of which 30 are operated by DPCC, 10 are operated by IMD/ IITM and 06 are operated by CPCB. Out of 30 monitoring stations operated by DPCC, 6 stations have been recently established on 08.02.2026. The number of monitoring stations set up in Delhi are more than the minimum required number of stations, i.e. 18 as prescribed by CPCB. Details of these stations and respective monitoring agencies are provided at Annexure.***Annexure Details of ambient air quality monitoring stations in Delhi Sl. No Location of monitoring stations . Operated by DPCC 1. Alipur (Residential + Commercial) 2. Anand Vihar (Commercial + Traffic kerb) 3. Ashok Vihar (Residential) 4. Bawana (Industrial) 5. Cantonment Area (Residential) 6. Commonwealth Sports Complex (Residential + Commercial) 7. Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range (others; Wildlife Sanctuary Area) 8. Dwarka-Sector 8 (Commercial + Traffic kerb) 9. IGNOU_Maidan Garhi (Residential) 10. JNU (Residential) 11. Jahangirpuri (Commercial + Traffic kerb) 12. Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Residential) 13. Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium (Residential) 14. Mandir Marg (Residential) 15. Mundka (Commercial + Redevelopment) 16. NSUT Jaffarpur (Residential) 17. Najafgarh (Residential) 18. Narela (Industrial) 19. Nehru Nagar (Residential) 20. Okhla Phase-2 (Industrial) 21. Patparganj (Residential) 22. Punjabi Bagh (Residential) 23. Pusa (Traffic kerb) 24. R K Puram (Residential) 25. Rohini (Residential) 26. Sonia Vihar (Residential) 27. Sri Aurobindo Marg (Residential) 28. Talkatora Garden (Residential) 29. Vivek Vihar (Residential) 30. Wazirpur (Industrial) Operated by IMD/IITM 31. Aya Nagar 32. Burari Crossing 33. CRRI Mathura RoadSl. No Location of monitoring stations . 34. Chandni Chowk 35. IGI Airport (T3) 36. IIT Delhi 37. Lodhi Road 38. Lodhi Road 39. North Campus, DU 40. Pusa, Operated by CPCB 41. DTU 42. IHBAS, Dilshad Garden 43. ITO 44. NSIT Dwarka 45. Shadipur 46. Sirifort ***