CPCB to set up ambient air quality monitoring systems

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has proposed to set up ambient air quality monitoring systems in cities with the help of public sector undertakings, the government said today.
"CPCB has proposed to set up Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) in 46 million plus cities under corporate social responsibility programme of central public sector undertakings," Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.
He said the CPCB has already received proposals for setting up 62 air monitoring systems.
The ambient air quality is being regularly monitored with manual and continuous air quality monitoring systems in Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) by the CPCB in association with state pollution control board, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute and System of Air Quality and Weather Forcasting and Research (SAFAR), he said.

CAAQMS, established by CPCB, DPCC, NEERI and SAFAR in Delhi, has been upgraded considering the parameters notified under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Replying to another question, Javadekar said there is no conclusive data to establish direct co-relationship of diseases exclusively due to air pollution.

"Health effects of air pollution are synergistic manifestation of factors which include food habits, occupational habits, socio-economic status, medical history, immunity and others of the individuals. Air pollution can be one of the triggering factors of respiratory ailments and associated diseases," he said.
The Environment Minister said the analysis of available air quality data of 41 million plus cities suggests that the concentration of SO2 in all 41 cities are within the prescribed National Ambient Air Quality (NAAQ) annual standards.

Nine out of 41 cities namely Delhi, Faridabad, Howrah, Kalyan-Dombivali, Kolkata, Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune, Navi Mumbai and Thane exceed the annual NAAQS of 40ug/m3 in respect to oxides of nitrogen and 38 cities out of 41 cities do not comply with annual NAAQS of 60ug/m3 with reard to particulate matter (PM10).