Centre To Install 300 Real Time, 769 Manual Air Quality Monitoring Systems By 2024

New Delhi is finally coming to terms with its deteriorating air quality. Pollution masks, screens flashing the Air Quality Index and a fresh pair of lungs installed at hospitals are becoming a common sight.

People have grown sensitive to air pollution and have started to use air purifiers to prevent their immune system from further damage. The centre has also become aware of its responsibility and therefore, has decided to install 300 more real-time ambient air quality monitoring systems across the country by 2024.

Photo: AP/Representative Image

PTI reported that out of the 150 realtime and 731 manual stations that have been installed across 70 cities, 48 of these are in Delhi alone. Satyendra Kumar, deputy secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change said, "We aim to increase the realtime monitoring system to 450 and the manual stations to 1,500 before 2024."

These installations, some of which are a part of the National Clean Air Programme will reduce pollution by almost 20 to 30 percent by 2024.

According to the ministry's 2017-18 report, there were 28 CAAQMS (Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Systems) in the national capital and 86 realtime CAAQMS in 57 other cities. Twenty additional CAAQMS were proposed to be installed in Delhi, as per the news agency.

Photo: Reuters/ Picture of Taj Mahal taken last month amid morning air pollution in Agra

Kumar added that these are not pollution mitigating devices but will only evaluate the presence of particles in the air and the state of pollution. More and more devices are being installed to gather accurate information though an environment activist and lawyer Gaurav Bansal believed that unless these devices are upgraded to include several gases, obtaining accurate data is unlikely.

Out of the 48 CAAQMS in New Delhi, 10 of these are operated manually. Meanwhile, ANI had reported that villages in Sonipat district of Haryana were facing life-threatening diseases due to industrial pollution in the area.

Dense fog engulfs the national capital, air quality remains poor; Visuals from RK Puram pic.twitter.com/h4GGZQqZQs

¡ª ANI (@ANI) February 4, 2019

The Air quality on Monday remained poor and a thick blanket of fog engulfed the capital. 27 trains were running late and flights were also delayed due to the dense fog.