The New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) has commissioned a state-of-the-art Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) at Seamen’s Memorial Garden, located within the NMPA wharf area near Mallya Gate. The facility, set up inside the port’s security compound, will monitor and record real-time air quality parameters, bolstering environmental management and public health awareness while ensuring compliance with National Air Quality Standards.
The CAAQMS is equipped to measure key pollutants, including PM10, PM2.5, sulphur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃), carbon monoxide (CO), ammonia (NH₃), and other parameters prescribed by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). It also tracks real-time weather conditions such as wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, ambient temperature, pressure, and solar radiation, with the data displayed at the port gate for public reference.
Data from the station will be continuously transmitted to the KSPCB and the Central Pollution Control Board, enabling timely interventions to improve air quality. The project was implemented at a contract cost of ₹2.76 crore and completed on August 10, 2025. The system will be maintained for five years, up to July 16, 2030.
NMPA officials said the initiative is in line with the national objective of strengthening air quality monitoring networks across India. The Port Authority has encouraged the public to regularly check the readings and remain aware of local air quality trends.
