Latest news with #CAAQMS
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Take a deep breath in
Central Pollution Control Board National Institute of Advanced Studies A traffic mix of slow-moving, low-speed, and high-speed vehicles is the biggest issue that Bengaluru is facing, which is impacting the city's air quality — Professor Gufran Beig, chair at NIAS Other than lowering the blistering heat, rain has had a positive impact on the air too. Bengaluru's air quality has improved after a few spells of rain throughout April, data has city witnessed more days with a 'satisfactory' air quality index in April compared with previous logged 27 'satisfactory' and three 'moderate' air quality days in the month. Experts say this is because the rain, along with increased humidity, led to the settling down of air pollutants from vehicular traffic and dust particles.'Better air quality and a greater number of 'good' air quality days can be attributed to April showers. Bengaluru has witnessed excess rainfall in the month, leading to dust and particulate matter settling down. Although the duration of the showers was low, most of them were of high intensity, washing away pollutants,' said an air quality to standards prescribed by the(CPCB), an air quality index (AQI) of 0-50 is categorised as 'good,' AQI of 51-100 is considered 'satisfactory,' AQI of 101-200 is termed as 'moderate,' and AQI values ranging from 201-300 are considered 'poor.'Bengaluru also experienced more 'good' air quality days in many areas in March this year compared to the previous Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) at Nisarga Bhavan recorded 28 good air quality days in March this year, in comparison to only seven such days in March 2024. Similarly, Stations in Jaynagar and Mysore Road recorded one 'good' air quality day each. CAAQMS at NIMHANS showed that the area witnessed six 'good' air quality days, and HSR Layout station recorded three such days this year. In 2024, all these stations had recorded zero 'good' air quality Professor Gufran Beig, chair at the(NIAS) and an air quality expert, says the increase in 'good' air quality days in March this year is accidental. Notably, Professor Beig and his team conducted an emission hotspot study in the city last year and found that Bengaluru has 80 locations with high levels of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 also revealed that the total annual particulate emissions in the city in 2023-24 reached 113 Gg/year for PM10 and 68 Gg/year in the case of PM2.5. Improvements in traffic management, infrastructure, power supply, industrial emissions control, and waste management practices were some recommendations made by the researchers.'Not much has happened on the ground after we published our study last year. A traffic mix of slow-moving, low-speed, and high-speed vehicles is the biggest issue that Bengaluru is facing, which is impacting the city's air quality. The prime reason is bus stops without designated bays. Buses block lanes while picking up and dropping off passengers, causing emissions. This is the first step towards making the city's hotspots more bearable,' said Professor Beig.
Hindustan Times
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Govt manipulating AQI data: AAP; BJP hits back
A war of words broke out on Saturday over the government's plans to install six new continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS), with the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claiming that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trying to manipulate air quality data by installing the stations in 'green zones'. In response, BJP minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said the locations were finalised when the AAP was in power. HT on Saturday reported that of the six stations, three are proposed to be placed inside lush green campuses – Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in south Delhi, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in south Delhi and Netaji Subhash University (West Campus) in west Delhi. One station is likely to be installed deep inside the Central Ridge at the ISRO Earth station near Malcha Mahal, and two more in relatively green areas, Delhi cantonment and the Commonwealth Games Sports Complex in east Delhi. According to experts, these locations may eventually bring the overall average air quality index (AQI) of the city down, thereby providing a lopsided picture of pollution in the city, especially in the winter months. AAP Delhi convener Saurabh Bharadwaj said the decision to install these monitors in forested areas where 'pollution levels in green zones are typically half of what they are in residential areas is to falsely show lower pollution levels and deceive the public.' 'The BJP is not reducing pollution — they are merely installing monitors in lush green spots to artificially lower the city's average AQI. The next step? Wherever heavy pollution exists — on roadsides, industrial zones — they will simply let the old monitors deteriorate. Those monitors will break down and stay broken…Even when they know pollution is dangerously high, they will deliberately fool people into believing it's low,' Bharadwaj said at a press briefing at the AAP headquarters. Hitting back, Sirsa claimed in a post on X that the decision to install CAAQMS at the six locations was taken by the former AAP government. 'This decision was taken during your government now when the air in Delhi is getting clean and pollution is decreasing due to the continuous work done by the BJP government, you could not tolerate it and you started vomiting lies. The public understand all your deceit,' Sirsa said. The environment minister also shared documents to back his claims. According to the documents, CAQM in a communication to chairman of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and others stated that in a meeting dated October 28, 2024, the sub-committee on monitoring and identification felt the need to increase the number of monitoring stations to represent all types of ecosystems and constituted a committee to identify and ascertain suitable locations of new CAAQMS considering scientific requirement, gap areas, spatial representation, logistics, security requirements among others. The committee had recommended the installation of six new CAAQMS in the city. According to a second document, DPCC issued a proposal dated February 21, 2025 for procurement of six CAAQMS along with the locations of the stations. The new Delhi cabinet along took oath on February 20 after the BJP won the assembly elections that month. Delhi has 40 AQI stations that provide critical information that help authorities decide on pollution mitigation measures. The average AQI comes from the average AQI of the readings of each of the 40 stations installed. A recent Comptroller and Auditor General report also flagged concerns about the placement of AQI monitors. The report, which carried an audit of the 24 CAAQMS under DPCC, found 13 of these were not located as per CPCB guidelines. These stations were either too close to trees, roads, high-rise buildings, or unpaved surfaces, which could distort readings, the report said. Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at Envirocatalysts, said the city urgently needs better, not just more, data. 'The new stations should be installed in commercial, residential, and industrial areas. Focusing too heavily on green areas will skew the numbers.'
Hindustan Times
26-04-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Data dressing will not help in fight against pollution
In a city where the air quality routinely hovers in the 'poor' or 'very poor' range, you would think that every decision made to tackle air pollution would be strategic, data-driven, and laser-focused on the most affected zones. Unfortunately, the Delhi government's latest move to install six new Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) across the Capital appears to defy that logic. The new monitors are being placed at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Delhi Cantonment, Netaji Subhash University (West Campus), and the Commonwealth Games Sports Complex – all relatively low-density, green, and institutionally controlled environments. These are not areas grappling with the thick of Delhi's pollution crisis. Instead, they are among the city's better performing pockets when it comes to air quality. Compare this with Anand Vihar, where the AQI regularly crosses the 300–400 mark during peak pollution seasons; almost double that of readings in campus zones like JNU or Delhi Cantonment, where AQI can be 100 points lower on the same day. In fact, Anand Vihar reported an AQI of 426 on a November day in 2023 when the Cantonment area clocked in at a relatively benign 172. Yet, the state's newest high-tech monitors are being positioned in the latter. What's more, the decision comes at a time when Delhi's air quality remains a ticking time bomb. According to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi logged a 24-hour average AQI of 194 (moderate) on Monday — the fourth consecutive day in the same range. But these moderate readings are heavily influenced by the location of the monitoring stations. If most monitors are concentrated in 'green zones,' the city's average AQI is bound to look deceptively cleaner. The distortion has serious implications. These monitors guide everything from public health warnings to school closures and traffic restrictions. They also serve as a foundation for long-term environmental and urban planning. Placing them in sanitised, low traffic areas paints an unrealistically optimistic picture of Delhi's air -- a dangerous form of self-deception. Let's not forget the cost. A single CAAQMS setup can cost upwards of ₹1 crore in installation and operational expenses. These are taxpayer-funded investments that should be strategically deployed where they are most needed -- high-density residential areas, congested intersections, industrial belts, near waste-to-energy plants and construction-heavy zones. These are the locations where residents, especially children and the elderly, suffer the worst health impacts due to sustained exposure to polluted air. Indeed, Delhi already has 40 CAAQMS spread across the city, but several critical areas remain under monitored. For instance, highly polluted zones like Okhla, Nangloi, and parts of North-East Delhi are still without round-the-clock monitoring. Shouldn't these be the priority? Of course, there is a role for monitors in campus areas too, particularly for research and long-term trend analysis. But the current strategy is imbalanced. One or two monitors for such zones might be justified, but not at the cost of neglecting frontline pollution hotspots. The Delhi government must course-correct. The public deserves clean air, but more importantly, it deserves truthful air quality data. Sugarcoating the numbers by planting monitors in leafy enclaves is not environmental stewardship; it's optics. Until pollution is tackled where it hurts the most, Delhi will remain a city gasping for breath. Monitoring clean air is easy. The real challenge — and responsibility — lies in facing the dirtier truths. Bhavreen Kandhari is an advocate for environmental rights. The views expressed are personal
Indian Express
21-04-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Pune's PM10 pollution surges beyond safety limits despite seasonal variation: Report
An analysis of Pune's air quality by Respirer Living Sciences, a climate-tech startup based on four years of data from the AtlasAQ platform, shows that PM10 concentrations in the city have consistently breached the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) limit of 60 µg/m³—even during summer months when pollution is expected to ease. Particulate Matter (PM10) pollution refers to airborne particles with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less, which can penetrate deep into the respiratory system, leading to severe health issues, including respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and premature mortality. The AtlasAQ platform was developed to enable validated long-term air quality trend analysis of Indian cities which have the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) network. According to the report released on Monday, Pune city has shown high seasonal variability, but no sustained improvement across any of the four years. Pune's citywide PM10 levels spiked from 70.9 µg/m³ in 2021 to 98.9 µg/m³ in 2022, and remained high at 95.9 µg/m³ in 2023, before slightly declining to 86.8 µg/m³ in 2024. 'While this drop may seem encouraging, none of these values meet the NAAQS benchmark, indicating that air quality remains unsafe throughout the year,' Ronak Sutaria, Founder and CEO of Respirer Living Sciences told The Indian Express. 'The narrative around Pune often assumes it's a clean city—but the data doesn't support that,' Sutaria said adding that even our so-called 'clean seasons' are not actually clean. 'PM10 pollution here is 'unpredictable, persistent, and well above safe limits,' he added. As per the analysis by Respirer Living Sciences, station-level data reveals extreme intra-year fluctuations. Karve Road showed a dramatic 177.6% rise from 50.0 µg/m³ in 2021 to 138.9 µg/m³ in 2022. Alandi also recorded a spike to 127.3 µg/m³ in 2023 before dropping to 89.0 µg/m³ in 2024. Locations like Transport Nagar, Bhosari, Mhada Colony, and Revenue Colony consistently reported annual averages above 80 µg/m³, while not a single station recorded levels below the national threshold. The report identifies rapid construction, road dust, vehicular congestion, and growing urban sprawl as key contributors to PM10. It recommends the enforcement of dust control protocols, greater investment in sustainable mobility, and real-time ward-level monitoring to enable more targeted action. When contacted, Pune Municipal Corporation's environment department officer Mangesh Dighe said he was not aware of the report. However, multiple strategies are being taken to spray droplets and settle dust particles to improve air quality levels. 'Recently the civic administration introduced the fog cannon machine mounted vehicle to deploy along busy roads to reduce road dust and air pollution,' he said. The fog cannon carrying 6,000 litres of water uses a high-pressure pump to spray water droplets and settle dust particles.
