Pune | Updated: December 27, 2025 09:58 AM IST 3 min readLed by Shweta Vernekar, senior programme associate at the city-based NGO Parisar, the “AQI Walk” covered the 1.5-kilometre stretch between Swargate and Mahatma Phule Mandai metro station. (Express Photo)Written by Rohit YadavArmed with handheld air quality monitors and a shared sense of urgency, a group of citizens gathered at Swargate Metro Station on a cool Friday evening for what looked like an ordinary walk but it turned out to be a revealing exercise in how the city breathes.Led by Shweta Vernekar, senior programme associate at the city-based NGO Parisar, the “AQI Walk” covered the 1.5-kilometre stretch between Swargate and Mahatma Phule Mandai metro station. Over the course of an hour, the team stopped at 20 designated locationsto capture readings of particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5) and Air Quality Index (AQI) using handheld Airveda monitors.PM10 stands for Particulate Matter 10, referring to particles with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less. PM2.5 stands for Particulate Matter 2.5, indicating finer particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller. AQI stands for Air Quality Index, a scale that summarizes overall air pollution levels from multiple pollutants“The idea was to make air pollution visible,” said Vernekar. “People often hear the words PM 2.5 or AQI without realizing what they mean. With these monitors, they can literally see the numbers rise and fall as the surroundings change. It turns air quality from an abstract figure into an immediate concern.”The readings told a worrying story. The highest AQI recorded during the walk, an alarming 421, was at Shahu chowk, a densely built area choked with traffic and narrow lanes. The highest PM2.5 level of 269 was also measured at Shahu chowk, far exceeding safe limits, while PM10 peaked at 372 at the same location.For participants, the experience was both educational and unsettling. “We keep reading about AQI and PM values in newspapers,” said Kaushal Mehta, a participant who travelled from Mukundnagar to join the walk. “But this was the first time I saw the data being captured live. It made me realise how close the issue is. Air pollution is my problem, not someone else’s to fix.”Story continues below this adThe session began with an introductory briefing on air quality monitoring techniques and ended with a group discussion where walkers shared reflections and ideas. Many suggested that such public mapping exercises should be held regularly, especially near schools and hospitals.Parisar has been advocating citizen-driven environmental interventions for over four decades. The NGO, often described as “the quiet force behind Pune’s green revolution,” has worked on issues ranging from heritage preservation and tree protection to mobility and air quality governance.Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:air pollutionAQI