Air Quality Monitoring System Checking Air Pollution In Arunachal Pradesh

Our Correspondent

Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) staff are on the job 24x7 to analyse the level of air pollution in the State and issue directives to maintain its status as ‘Lungs of the Globe’.

APPCB member-secretary Rajthilak S informed that Air Quality Monitoring System (AQMS) under National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP), runs round the clock at the PCCF office here and APPCB building, Naharlagun, to monitor air pollution levels and issue directives for maintaining the desired level.

He said that the number of vehicles, particularly diesel-run in the State capital, is much higher than the population. “Diesel vehicles intensify pollution by generating more carbon dioxide as shown by the real time date,” he said, adding, “the road construction activities pollute the air further which of course subsides after rains.” Hinting at plans to set up AQMS in all district headquarters to assess air quality, he said that such installations would facilitate data collection directly instead of present system of physical collection.

“While use of plastic will be banned soon, guidelines will be issued for proper disposal of plastic and bio-medical wastes. A meeting will be conducted with hospital managers soon to ask them to comply with the guidelines strictly,” he added.

Assistant environment engineer Tana Manlong, who was assisting him, said that the State Government has proposed to set up Continuous Ambient Air Control Monitoring Station (CAACMS) at Pasighat, Namsai, Roing, Tezu and Bhalukpong for non-stop monitoring of air quality.

Manlong along with junior scientific assistant Dani Mobing, in-charge of collection and analysis of data to forward to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), also demonstrated the use of the AQMS installed on the top floor of APPCB office. The air quality, which depends – particulate matter (PM)-10, sulphur dioxide (SO2)-80, nitrogen dioxide (NO2)-80, is collected once weekly. However, collecting SO2 level every four-hourly makes the job tougher, he added.

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