Pollution up, checking system dated
RELATED
CHENNAI: Pollution levels in the city are rising like smoke from an inferno but the state pollution control board continues to cling to an outdated monitoring system,
not carrying out checks on weekends, when an increase in traffic and
business in commercial hubs leads to drastic drop in air quality.
The board checks ambient air quality only twice a week with data from its five ambient air quality monitoring stations run by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board in Anna Nagar, T Nagar, Adyar, Vallalar Nagar and Kilpauk. Even these readings do not provide an accurate reflection of the city's air quality because the stations are on streets with low traffic density.
The city gets only a partial and inaccurate picture of pollution in the city, say experts, who point out that pollution levels should be checked round the clock as they in Delhi.
Suspended particulate matter (SPM) has increased by almost 40% in Adyar this year, and in Anna Nagar, T Nagar and Kilpauk, SPM levels regularly exceed permissible levels, experts say.
The SPM count is a measure of particles less than 10 microns (1 micron = 1 millionth of a metre) in diameter.
Roads in some neighbourhoods are severely congested on weekends. But the state pollution control board, stuck in a time warp, believes that pollution levels are lower on weekends because schools are closed and few people commute to work. "Air pollution from sulphur oxides and nitrous oxides is lower on weekends," a TNPCB official said.
However, researchers like P Sudhakar, joint director of CPR Environmental Education Centre, say pollution on weekends can be as high as on weekdays.
Residents of commercial localities say traffic is so heavy on Saturday and Sunday that pedestrians are left with no space. "You don't need a machine to tell you that the air is more polluted on weekends," said V S Jayaraman, who lives off Usman Road in T Nagar.
In Anna Nagar, many areas are covered in a blanket of dust from metro rail construction. "There are so many vehicles on the roads, the thought of all the exhaust they generate is scary," said S Vetrivel, a resident of Anna Nagar.
TNPCB plans to install automatic monitoring systems in the city in a few months. "We will soon have a 24X7 system," a board official said.
The board checks ambient air quality only twice a week with data from its five ambient air quality monitoring stations run by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board in Anna Nagar, T Nagar, Adyar, Vallalar Nagar and Kilpauk. Even these readings do not provide an accurate reflection of the city's air quality because the stations are on streets with low traffic density.
The city gets only a partial and inaccurate picture of pollution in the city, say experts, who point out that pollution levels should be checked round the clock as they in Delhi.
Suspended particulate matter (SPM) has increased by almost 40% in Adyar this year, and in Anna Nagar, T Nagar and Kilpauk, SPM levels regularly exceed permissible levels, experts say.
The SPM count is a measure of particles less than 10 microns (1 micron = 1 millionth of a metre) in diameter.
Roads in some neighbourhoods are severely congested on weekends. But the state pollution control board, stuck in a time warp, believes that pollution levels are lower on weekends because schools are closed and few people commute to work. "Air pollution from sulphur oxides and nitrous oxides is lower on weekends," a TNPCB official said.
However, researchers like P Sudhakar, joint director of CPR Environmental Education Centre, say pollution on weekends can be as high as on weekdays.
Residents of commercial localities say traffic is so heavy on Saturday and Sunday that pedestrians are left with no space. "You don't need a machine to tell you that the air is more polluted on weekends," said V S Jayaraman, who lives off Usman Road in T Nagar.
In Anna Nagar, many areas are covered in a blanket of dust from metro rail construction. "There are so many vehicles on the roads, the thought of all the exhaust they generate is scary," said S Vetrivel, a resident of Anna Nagar.
TNPCB plans to install automatic monitoring systems in the city in a few months. "We will soon have a 24X7 system," a board official said.
No comments:
Post a Comment