‘System to provide real time data on pollution sources in Delhi soon’

NEW DELHI: Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Thursday said a system to provide real time data on pollution sources in the national Capital will be launched in August.

A supersite of the “Real Time Source Apportionment System” will be established on a school at Pandara Road in Central Delhi, he said after chairing a review meeting with experts and officials from the Delhi Pollution Control Board, IIT Kanpur, IIT Delhi, and The Energy and Resources Institute.

Delhi will become the first city to identify the realtime source of air pollution through its apportionment system, he said.

The project will help identify the factors responsible for the rise in air pollution at any given location in Delhi. It will help in understanding the impact of pollution sources like vehicles, dust, biomass burning, stubble burning and industrial emissions.

Based on the results, the government will be able to take necessary steps to curb the specific sources of pollution.

Pollution forecasting will help the government take significant policy decisions like school closures, construction restrictions, vehicular restrictions beforehand.