Study to identify pollutants affecting air quality in Delhi

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) in collaboration with a leading environment think-tank will undertake a pilot study to monitor the pollution

level of Delhi-NCR dynamically and identify specific pollutants to take action in case of a sudden spike of pollution, officials said Wednesday. The study on Ambient Air Source Apportionment in Delhi-NCR will use equipment provided by Japanese instrumentation company Horiba that can do real-time monitoring of the pollution level in the national capital, said Chandra Bhushan, the Deputy Director General of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). "The

three-month-long study will capture baseline data at various locations of Delhi NCR. It

has been planned as an independent study,

using XRF and Beta ray attenuation technologies," he said. He added, "Static monitoring of pollution would not work. We need dynamic monitoring to take action as soon as possible."

Mohan P George, head of DPCC's air quality division, said there is a gap in understanding the sudden spike in pollution level and this study will help in improving our understanding of that. "We hope with the improved understanding it would be possible to implement Graded Response Action Plan more effectively," George said.

The exercise would be of elemental study to analyse inorganic elements and based on the spike of these elements, the source of pollution could be identified. "Right now, we shut down everything when pollution reaches severe but through this study, we hope to identify specific sources so selective action could be taken up," said Anumita Anumita Roychowdhury, head of the air pollution and clean transportation programme at CSE, said.