Sanjeev Gupta, New Delhi. When the level of air pollution increases too much, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) also becomes helpless. Many of its air quality monitoring stations stop working. The same thing was also seen on Diwali night. Due to the burning of fireworks and fire crackers till after midnight, pollution in the national capital increased to such an extent on Diwali evening that many monitoring stations were closed. This was the reason why hourly data from different stations was not available for about five hours in the night. Although this aspect is hidden and suppressed at the official level, but according to sources, when the AQI exceeds a limit, the monitoring stations are unable to calculate the AQI. Reliable sources say that AQI data from some stations was missing due to failure of CPCB’s UDL (Up-Down Link) on Diwali evening. Actually, CPCB has 39 monitoring stations in Delhi, which are connected online to its server. Their data reaches this server only through UDL. Sources say that technically the limit of AQI in all these monitoring stations is up to 500, but the calculation of PM 2.5 and PM 10 can be up to 1000 micrograms per cubic meter. It is said that from 11 pm to 5 am on Diwali night, AQI data was not recorded at many stations including Patparganj, Nehru Nagar, JLN Stadium, ITO, NSIT Dwarka, Ayanagar and Okhla Phase 2. The reason, in all these places the level of PM 2.5 and PM 1000 cubic meters reached more than PM 1000 cubic meters. As a result, the sensors of these stations stopped working. The UDL link failed and their data could not reach the CPCB server. Due to this, AQI data of these areas remained missing for hours on CPCB’s portal and app. In the past, such cases have also been reported many times on Diwali night, but no solution could be found. When the pollution level came down slightly in the morning, these stations started running again. Former Additional Director of Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Dr M George questions, “If it was a ‘Green Diwali’, then people have a right to know what they inhaled at night? Why did CPCB’s monitoring system remain closed during peak pollution at night?” “Many times when the level of pollution increases significantly, such situations arise. The UDL fails and the server also goes down. However, it is restarted after a few hours. To solve this problem in the future, the upgrading of air quality monitoring stations is being considered.” – Dr. Anil Gupta, Member, CPCB Also Read – One city, two numbers: Controversy between CPCB and IQAir on air quality in Delhi, experts confused
AQI in Delhi goes above 500, PM levels cross 1000, CPCB servers and sensors fail – Delhi air quality aqi crosses 500 pm levels sharp cpcb servers down
