JOIN USB'luru to get more automated air quality testing stations
The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) will instal five automated ambient air quality monitoring stations in Bengaluru soon. The new stations, besides the two existing ones, will help make a better assessment of the increasing levels of air pollution in different parts of the city, officials said.
The board has 15 manual and two automated stations functioning across the city. It has now floated tenders to open more automated centres which are likely to start functioning in the next three months, KSPCB chairman Lakshman told DH. The two existing automated centres are located at Bengaluru City (Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna) railway station and the KSPCB’s regional office in Basaveshwaranagar.
The equipment are being imported from Australia and the US for about Rs 23 crore. “These automated centres will check the suspended particulate matter (PM) 10, PM 2.5, sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ammonia, carbon monoxide, ozone and benzene. As part of the programme, an automated display board will also be installed at Anil Kumble Circle on MG Road,” said an official.
The existing manual stations on Mysuru Road, in Whitefield and at Nimhans will be replaced with automated centres while the two new centres will come up at the Saint Philomena’s Hospital and the Freedom Park, he added.
Another KSPCB official said the automated stations were better than manual stations as chances of errors were minimal and data was assessed every 15 minutes and updated to the server located at the head office. These can also be tuned to display air quality to the assigned boards, he said.
The official said that as per the Central Pollution Control Board standards, Bengaluru should have 22 such stations. The KSPCB is also planning to have air quality monitoring stations at BEL Circle, Sarjapur Road, near Central Silk Board, in Hebbal, JP Nagar and Jayanagar in a phased manner. “The exact locations would be finalised based on availability of land. To set up an automated station, a 30x30-sq ft is sufficient and preference is given to government land,” the official said.