Delhi To Get 13 New AQI Monitoring Stations

01 Jun 2026 CW Team

Delhi will receive 13 new Air Quality Index (AQI) monitoring stations, authorities announced, with locations finalised and published. The expansion forms part of efforts to strengthen ambient air monitoring across the city. The new network will increase spatial coverage and reduce gaps in real-time data. The announcement follows recent calls for better monitoring to track pollution trends across seasons.

The additional monitoring points are intended to provide more granular readings to inform pollution-control measures and public advisories. Greater density of monitoring helps identify local hotspots and temporal patterns that are not apparent from a limited number of stations. Improved data quality is expected to assist planners and health agencies in targeting interventions. High-frequency measurements can also support short-term forecasting and improve the timeliness of health advisories.

The list of locations covers multiple municipal districts and neighbourhoods to achieve balanced representation of residential, industrial and traffic-affected areas. Placement choices were finalised after a technical assessment of existing coverage and emission sources. Deployment will include calibration and commissioning phases before the stations are brought into full operation. Site selection accounted for logistical considerations such as power availability and secure shelters for sensitive instruments.

Once operational, the stations will feed data into the city's existing air quality information systems and be accessible to researchers and the public through online platforms. Maintenance and periodic validation will be required to ensure measurement accuracy and continuity. Authorities indicated that the enlargement of the monitoring network is a step towards more evidence-based air management in the national capital. Community groups and academic bodies will be able to use the richer dataset for research and local mitigation planning.

Infrastructure Transport

15 Jul 2026

Railways To Operate Over 300 Special Trains For Rath Yatra

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that Indian Railways (IR) will operate more than 300 special trains for the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra in Odisha and over 100 special trains during the Onam festival in Keralam. He flagged off the Nanded–Mumbai and Tanakpur–Nanded Express trains and inaugurated the extension of the Tanakpur–Pilibhit service up to Shahjahanpur via video conference from Rail Sadan in Bhubaneswar. He noted that the summer season, which concluded on 30 June, had seen a record 15,000 special trains. Vaishnaw stated that the newly launched services are intende..

Vande Bharat Express To Start From Tripura Soon

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said the Vande Bharat Express will commence operations from Tripura in the coming days after he flagged off the Agartala–Karimganj MEMU service at Agartala Railway Station. He recalled the rail history of the state, noting that a metre-gauge service first arrived in 1964 and that broad gauge reached Agartala in 2008 following national projects and later upgrades under the Act East policy. The event was described as a milestone for regional connectivity and the MEMU was presented as the first electric passenger train to originate from Tripura.\n\nSaha said he..

MEMU Suspension Disrupts Commuters Between Vadodara And Dahod

The Vadodara–Dahod Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) service has been temporarily suspended for 26 days after its rake was diverted to Odisha to manage the surge in passenger traffic during the annual Rath Yatra in Puri. Indian Railways redeployed several MEMU rakes from different zones to meet the additional travel demand for the festival scheduled from the seventh of July to the second of August. As a result, train numbers 69233 and 69234 operating between Vadodara and Dahod will remain cancelled for the duration. Railway authorities advised passengers to use alternative train service..