Visakhapatnam port adds three air quality monitoring stations in ₹6.54 crore expansion

Industrial units near the Visakhapatnam port in the One Town area. File | Photo Credit: V. Raju The Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) has taken up the modernisation and expansion of its Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) network with a Rajasthan firm.The work is in two parts: an infrastructure overhaul already under way and the recent addition of three monitoring units.Speaking to The Hindu, VPA Deputy Chairperson Roshni Aparanji Korati said the port’s environmental plan was designed to merge industrial growth with data-backed transparency.“Our objective is to ensure that industrial operations and port logistics coexist seamlessly with the ecological well-being of Visakhapatnam. Real-time data sharing empowers both regulators and the public, driving meaningful and accountable urban environmental management,” she said.The port’s existing network comprises three CAAQMS units set up in 2016 by Environment SA India Pvt Ltd at the GCB Gate Area, VPA Fire Station Road and the R&D Yard Area, for which a two-year Comprehensive Annual Maintenance Contract (CAMC) worth ₹2.01 crore was recently awarded to Envea India Private Limited, running through November 2027.“Complementing this operational baseline, VPA has advanced a massive expansion initiative valued at ₹6,53,75,201 awarded to Rajasthan-based M/s. Analyser Instrument Co. Pvt. Ltd,” she added.The new contract adds three CAAQMS stations at Port Stadium in Akkayyapalem, Harbour Park in Pandurangapuram and the Oil Berths in Malkapuram, backed by a 10-year CAMC after a six-month trial run.Beyond ambient air, the VPA’s plan covers other parts of the environment across the operational zone.It includes a Continuous Marine Water Quality Monitoring System (CMWQMS) between the Inner Harbour Turning Circle and the SL Canal, an Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring System (OCEMS) tracking the inlet and outlet of the 10 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), and four Continuous Noise Monitoring Systems (CNMS) covering the STP zone, the AOB building DG set area, the WQ 5 office and the TM Control Room opposite the EQ-3 berth.For public visibility, LED display boards have been installed along major traffic corridors near Port Stadium, Harbour Park and the Naval Dockyard entrance to show real-time readings. Published - September 09, 2026 01:37 pm IST