As air quality in Haryana deteriorates with the onset of the pollution season, the state’s ability to monitor real-time data has taken a major hit. Nearly 65% of its air quality monitoring stations went offline on Wednesday, severely crippling pollution tracking efforts at a crucial time. Out of 32 stations across the state, 20 were non-functional including three key monitors in Gurugram.
The outage left only the Vikas Sadan station operational in the city, which recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 150, categorised as ‘moderate.’ However, with the majority of monitors down, officials lacked an accurate picture of pollution levels or the composition of the haze that blanketed the city.
According to Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) officials, the stations at Gwalpahari, Teri Gram, and Sector 51 in Gurugram went offline due to technical snags and delayed calibration. Similar issues were reported in Faridabad, Hisar, Panchkula, and Rohtak leaving large parts of the state without real-time air quality data just as stubble burning and changing weather patterns begin to worsen pollution.
Experts warn that such lapses could have serious implications.
“Industrial belts and traffic corridors are missing from the data. Despite AQI hovering between 150 and 180, residents have complained of smog, eye irritation, and breathlessness,” said Shubhansh Tiwari research associate at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
HSPCB officials said repairs were underway but did not specify when the monitoring network would be fully restored.
Environmental analysts argue that poor maintenance reflects deeper systemic issues. “Calibration and maintenance should be completed well before the pollution season, not during it,” said Manoj Kumar an analyst with the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). “When monitors go offline during peak pollution episodes, it undermines public trust and deprives policymakers of crucial data needed for long-term planning.”
This isn’t the first time the state has faced such a crisis. Last winter, several NCR stations also went offline during peak smog months, drawing criticism from environmental groups and exposing weaknesses in Haryana’s air quality monitoring network.
With Diwali around the corner and farm fires already reported in neighbouring states, experts fear that without a functional monitoring system, Haryana could be flying blind through its most polluted weeks of the year.