GBA headquarters.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: To address rising concerns about air quality in the city, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) is planning to increase the number of monitoring stations, including installing one in every ward.
GBA Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao, who held a meeting with the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP) on Tuesday, said monitoring air quality accurately was important.
“If we have more monitors, it will help us fetch some crucial data and also identify pollution hotspots. This will help us take up further measures,” he said.
The data will help determine PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels, which indicate the severity of air pollution. Higher PM 10 levels could point to pollution caused by construction activity, and such data will help in making policy-level decisions, Rao said.
That apart, ahead of summer, the GBA is also working on identifying heat islands that could pose health risks to citizens.
“Extreme heat could cause health problems, and hence identifying heat islands is important. Once identified, we can take simple measures such as planting trees in those areas and installing shelters for rest. Such measures will help ease the situation to a great extent,” Rao said.