Delhi govt pushes for real-time pollution sources data

The study aims to move beyond episodic assessments and enable policymakers to respond more effectively during peak pollution periods.

New Delhi:

The system is expected to provide continuous data through a live dashboard, along with weekly updates and monthly analytical reports. (HT archive)

The Delhi government has directed the fast-tracked rollout of a real-time source apportionment study focusing on PM10 to strengthen evidence-based policymaking on air pollution, officials said on Wednesday.

The proposal, presented by IIT-Delhi during a high-level meeting chaired by Delhi environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, outlined a five-year plan to generate continuous, real-time data on pollution sources. The study aims to move beyond episodic assessments and enable policymakers to respond more effectively during peak pollution periods.

Sirsa said, “The study will help the government evaluate the impact of the multi-pronged interventions being implemented under the Environment Action Plan, especially in terms of seasonal pollution trends and hotspot behaviour.”

Officials said the project will include the re-operationalisation of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC)’s so-called “super-site”, supported by advanced instruments and mobile monitoring units for hotspot tracking. The system is expected to provide continuous data through a live dashboard, along with weekly updates and monthly analytical reports.

The new study, officials said, will also update Delhi’s emission inventory, conduct upwind and downwind analysis using IIT Delhi’s Sonipat facility, and assess climate co-benefits of pollution control measures. Mobile monitoring will cover key pollution hotspots across seasons, with at least 30 days of sampling planned per site.

Officials said the initiative had remained pending under the previous government. While the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) Pune is conducting work on PM2.5, the new study will focus specifically on PM10.