Thane’s new pollution monitoring station records high levels of PM10

Thane residents will be able to find out the quality of air in their suburb on a real-time basis, with the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) setting up the first air pollution monitoring station.

Thane residents will be able to find out the quality of air in their suburb on a real-time basis, with the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) setting up the first air pollution monitoring station.

According to data from the air quality monitoring station located at Marathon Chowk, Teen Haath Naka, levels of particulate matter (PM10) — soot and dust particles smaller than 10 microns in size which can be inhaled into the body causing respiratory ailments — more than four times the permissible limits.

“We observed that the major source of air pollution in Thane is from vehicles, followed by construction. There are four pollutants that are being measured — PM10, oxides of nitrogen (NOX), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3). We get real-time updates every hour of the rise and fall of pollutants and at the end of the day, a 24-hour average of the four pollutants establishes the pollution level for the day,” said Manisha Pradhan, pollution control officer, TMC.