Ericsson, IIT Kanpur to monitor air pollution in Delhi

Swedish telecom gear maker Ericsson and IIT Kanpur will deploy internet-of-things based network within six months to monitor air pollution in the national capital.

"The air pollution levels in Delhi is an issue that needs to be tracked and addressed on a continuous basis. In partnership with IIT Kanpur, NB (narrow band)-IoT based-sensors will be deployed at strategic locations in the city.

"The sensors are automated and will relay information on defined time intervals, providing data on pollution levels, sources and locations in a sustainable and cost-efficient way," Ericsson India head Nitin Bansal said in a statement.

The pilot for the same is running and the project should be operational in 3-6 months, he added.

"Data will be available in the public domain and popularized as well. Both Scholarly and simplified reports would be made available for public consumption. Dashboard will be shared," Bansal said.

As part of the MoU, Ericsson will use locally developed air quality sensors that are capable of sharing environmental data, including PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 levels at defined time intervals.

"The collection and analysis of this data can be of crucial help in addressing the menace of air pollution," S Tripathi, Head of Department, Civil Engineering at IIT Kanpur said.