Air pollution levels surged dangerously in the latter part of 2025 and early 2026 in Visakhapatnam, yet the city has only one real-time air quality monitoring station, making it difficult to provide a proper reading of pollution levels.
This infrastructure gap is stark, as the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) norms mandate to have at least five Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (CAAQM) stations to ensure accurate public safety data. These stations must be set up across five different categories of locations— two stations in residential areas, and one each in high-traffic area, commercial area, and industrial area.
Currently, the lone station is located at the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) office in Dwarakanagar and falls under the category of high-traffic area. The city still needs four more stations in the remaining categories— residential, commercial, and industrial areas to provide a clear picutre of real-time air quality.
Presently, the CPCB relies solely on data from the single station (located at the GVMC office) to provide real-time air quality data of Visakhapatnam on its official website. Residents frequent the CPCB website to check the city’s air quality, while also checking it on their smart devices.
