The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is set to deploy 75 hyperlocal air quality sensors across the city to strengthen pollution monitoring and identify localised pollution sources more accurately. The sensors will operate under the Mumbai Air Network for Advance Sciences (MANAS), a platform developed by Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. Civic officials say the new system will provide more precise and real-time data on pollution levels in different neighbourhoods, helping authorities take targeted action to address air quality concerns.

Currently, Mumbai relies on 28 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Systems spread across its 603-square-kilometre area to measure air pollution levels. This translates to roughly one monitoring station for every 21 square kilometres, which experts say limits the ability to detect sharp variations in pollution across different localities. With the addition of the 75 MANAS sensors, the city’s monitoring network will become significantly denser, reducing the coverage area to approximately one sensor or station for every five to six square kilometres.

Officials said the expanded monitoring grid will make it easier to identify specific pollution hotspots and determine the sources of pollutants in particular areas. Data generated by the sensors will help authorities better understand local patterns of emissions and respond more quickly to spikes in the Air Quality Index (AQI). The system is also expected to assist policymakers in designing targeted interventions rather than relying on city-wide measures.

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Among the areas likely to receive special attention under the new monitoring network are the Deonar dumping ground, the commercial district of Bandra Kurla Complex, and suburbs such as Malad. These locations have repeatedly recorded poor air quality due to a combination of landfill emissions, heavy traffic, construction activity, and industrial operations.

Before installing the sensors, the BMC plans to conduct a 15-day study next month to analyse pollution trends and determine the most effective locations for the devices. The civic body intends to install the sensors primarily on municipal or government-owned properties, a move aimed at reducing the risk of tampering or vandalism while ensuring easier maintenance and monitoring.

Officials say the introduction of the MANAS system is part of a broader effort by the civic body to strengthen environmental monitoring and address rising concerns about air pollution in India’s financial capital. By generating more detailed and neighbourhood-level data, authorities hope the expanded network will support long-term planning, enable quicker responses to pollution spikes, and help formulate more effective policies to improve air quality in Mumbai.

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