PM launches nat'l Air Quality Index

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched the National Air Quality Index (AQI) for monitoring the quality of air in major urban centres across the country on a real-time basis and enhancing public awareness for taking mitigative action.
As part of the endeavour, the Union Environment Ministry proposes to extend the measurement of air quality to 22 state capitals and 44 other cities with a population exceeding one million.
Launched during the two-day Environment and Forest Minister's conference, AQI assumes significance as Delhi -- which has been termed one of the most-polluted cities in the world -- and other cities in the country have raised deep concern over their deteriorating air quality.

The AQI has been at present launched for 10 cities -- Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Faridabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
It will have 'one number, one colour and one description' to inform the public about air quality in a simple and easily understandable format.
The ministry said that each of these cities will have 6-7 continuous monitoring stations with AQI display boards.

"The AQI may prove to be a major initiative for improving air quality in urban areas as it would enhance public awareness and involvement and create a competitive environment among cities to take steps for air pollution-mitigation," it said in a release.

The ministry said that, traditionally, air quality status has been reported through voluminous data, but it is important that such information is put in the public domain in a format that can be easily understood by a layman.
The AQI has been developed by the Central Pollution Control Board in consultation with IIT-Kanpur and an expert group comprising medical, air-quality professionals and other stakeholders.
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which has been demanding adoption of an AQI for a long time, welcomed the launch and said it was "an important step forward for building awareness and protecting public health".

It added that it was "time to push for aggressive and time -bound action in Delhi and other Indian cities to meet clean- air standards and reduce the public health risk".