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Comprehensive one-stop dashboard launched for nationwide air quality monitoring

By, New Delhi
Jan 20, 2021 11:58 PM IST

With an aim to monitor pollution levels and provide readily available air quality data of different cities across the country, a Mumbai-based environment start-up on Wednesday launched a new dashboard to access continuous ambient air quality monitoring standards (CAAQMS)

With an aim to monitor pollution levels and provide readily available air quality data of different cities across the country, a Mumbai-based environment start-up on Wednesday launched a new dashboard to access continuous ambient air quality monitoring standards (CAAQMS).

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Mumbai firm Carbon Copy and Respirer Living Sciences released the new dashboard at a webinar organised by a Delhi-based climate communications initiative, Climate Trends. The new dashboard presents a comprehensive one-stop platform to access on CAAQMS and is a part of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)’s nationwide real-time monitoring network.

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“The dashboard is designed to not only list the data but also to allow users to draw comparisons between the air quality over seasons, calculate monthly and annual averages and even examine hyper local monitoring by zooming into specific cities and neighbourhoods to identify polluted pockets,” said Ronak Sutaria, CEO, Respirer Living Sciences.

He further said, “The dashboard has allowed transparency on not just PM2.5 and PM 10 (particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 micrometres and 10 micrometres) data, but also on data regarding harmful gases such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO).”

While discussing the need for increased air quality monitoring and increased accountability of government agencies and state pollution control boards, SN Tripathi, head of department (civil engineering) at IIT-Kanpur, said, “Since the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) started in 2019, we are now on a five-year plan with a target to reduce 20%-30% PM2.5 and PM10 by 2024. The measures being taken now are aimed at increasing accountability.”

Tripathi is also the nodal officer of the national knowledge network (NKN), which was set up as an advisory board to guide the state and central pollution control boards in implementing the NCAP.

Environment experts pointed out that even during the stringent Covid-19 lockdown last year, studies have showed that of the eight major polluting sources, only four -- vehicles, industrial activity, brick kilns and construction activity -- had been shut. Meanwhile, power plants were still operational although at a reduced capacity. Household cooking, open burning and diesel generators all added to ensure that even in the best-case scenario, India’s background pollution levels ranged from 20-30 ug/m3.

“Indians have 35% reduced lung capacity due to air pollution in comparison to Caucasians. Air pollution was the second highest risk factor in India, second only to child and maternal malnutrition,” said Dr DJ Christopher, head of pulmonary medicine at Christian Medical College, Vellore.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Soumya Pillai covers environment and traffic in Delhi. A journalist for three years, she has grown up in and with Delhi, which is often reflected in the stories she does about life in the city. She also enjoys writing on social innovations.

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