Mumbai gets sensor-based monitors as low cost air monitoring feasibility study begins

Installations of low-cost sensor based mostly air high quality monitoring tools has been accomplished throughout 15 areas in Mumbai for the first-of-its form examine in India utilizing this expertise to precisely measure dangerous pollutant focus within the air, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) stated.

Low-cost monitoring sensors measure ambient air high quality based mostly on mild scattering expertise utilizing a lot smaller tools as in comparison with present air high quality measuring expertise.

In July, MPCB and the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-Ok) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to undertake the sensor expertise evaluation between November 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021.

Readings from the air high quality tools will start being relayed to MPCB and IIT-Ok servers from November 1. “The installation of the monitors has begun. Now we are awaiting the data acquisition for final project implementation within a couple of days. Once data starts flowing into MPCB or IIT-K servers, it will help us understand and develop the interfaces. We are planning a formal launch soon,” stated Sudhir Srivastava, chairman, MPCB.

The sensors shall be put in throughout MPCB’s 15 present steady (real-time) ambient air high quality monitoring stations (CAAQM) – 10 in Mumbai, one every in Navi Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan, Vasai-Virar, and Dombivali. The sensors will monitor particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), ozone, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and sulphur oxides (SOx).

“The basic idea is to get a sense of the liability, accuracy, and reproducibility of the result of these monitors. It will also help us understand the effectiveness of existing CAAQMS data. Once the feasibility is confirmed, it will be scaled across the state,” stated Srivastava.

Such screens can be rolled out throughout 18 non-attainment cities in Maharashtra to determine air pollution hotspots by way of hyper-local air monitoring, supply distribution and related well being impacts, he stated.

Manual screens to measure air high quality have been used since 1984-85 by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which was later renamed the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) community. It presently consists of 793 working stations overlaying 344 cities and cities in 29 states and 6 union territories in India. The handbook methodology entails evaluation of pollution measured as soon as each six days the place knowledge is transferred manually for general evaluation, and the associated fee is Rs. eight lakh per station every year together with buying value, upkeep, and variety of pollution measured (in accordance with MPCB). CAAQMS screens value Rs. 1.5 crore per station every year together with all extra prices and are computerized screens offering real-time knowledge that’s simple to interpret.

Low-cost screens are purchased for Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 2 lakh (together with upkeep) based mostly on the variety of pollution they measure, stated unbiased researchers.

“For hyper local monitoring, these sensors are indispensable. However, one is required to do extensive validation for accuracy and precision of sensor data over a wide range of meteorological and environmental conditions,” stated Professor SN Tripathi, head of civil engineering, IIT-Ok and apex committee member, National Clean Air Program.

“This is the first experiment in India which is currently being conducted in collaboration with MPCB covering the entire CAAQMS or government network of the greater Mumbai region. This will enable us to conclusively determine the accuracy and stability of sensor data and will pave the way for large-scale sensor deployment in Maharashtra in particular and India in general,” Tripathi stated.