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

Industrial units near Visakhapatnam port in One Town area. File | Photo credit: V. Raju

The Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) has started upgrading and expanding its network of Continuous Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) with a Rajasthan firm.

The work consists of two parts: an infrastructure overhaul already underway and the recent addition of three monitoring units.

Speaking to The Hindu, VPA Vice-Chairman Roshni Aparanji Korati said the port’s environmental plan was designed to merge industrial growth with data-driven transparency.

“Our aim is to ensure that industrial operations and port logistics coexist seamlessly with Visakhapatnam’s environmental well-being. Real-time data sharing empowers regulators and the public alike and supports meaningful and responsible urban environmental management,” she said.

The existing port network consists of three CAAQMS units set up in 2016 by Environment SA India Pvt Ltd at GCB Gate, VPA Fire Station Road and R&D Yard Area, for which a two-year Comprehensive Annual Maintenance Contract (CAMC) worth ₹2.01 million was recently awarded till November 227 to Envea India Private Limited.

“To complement this operational base, VPA has progressed a massive expansion initiative worth ₹ 6,53,75,201 awarded to Rajasthan-based M/s. Analyzer Instrument Co. Pvt. Ltd.,” it added.

The new contract adds three CAAQMS stations at Port Stadium in Akkayyapalem, Harbor Park in Pandurangapuram and Oil Berths in Malkapuram, supported by the 10-year CAMC after a six-month trial run.

In addition to ambient air, the VPA plan covers other parts of the environment in the operational zone.

It includes a Continuous Seawater Quality Monitoring System (CMWQMS) between the Inner Harbor Turning Circle and the SL Channel, an Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring System (OCEMS) monitoring the inlet and outlet of the 10 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and four Continuous Noise Monitoring Systems (CNMS) for the A5 office and STP building area, DGTM. opposite the EQ-3 berth.

For public visibility, LED display panels that display real-time data have been installed along major traffic corridors near Harbor Stadium, Harbor Park and the entrance to the Naval Dockyard.

Published – September 9, 2026 1:37 PM IST