Soon, a mobile based app will be launched for the city denizens for redressal of their grievances related to the poor air quality.

As the pollution levels are increasing in the City Beautiful, the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) will soon be launching a public grievance redressal system which includes an android based application for redressal of public complaints on air pollution. “The National Green Tribunal had directed Chandigarh to develop a public grievance redressal portal to attend to the public complaints on air pollution along with a supervisory mechanism for its disposal mechanism. CPCC has thus developed an android based application with the help of NIC, Delhi which will act as a public grievance redressal system. The app is in the testing phase,” said a senior UT officer.

The local authorities will evaluate the functioning of this mechanism on a real time basis in the interest of protection of environment and public health, he said.

The officer added that analysis will also be undertaken about the number of complaints received, nature of issues raised and remedies provided. 

Notably, the air quality index (AQI) was recorded at its worst ever in November last year in Chandigarh. The AQI was recorded between 300 and 400 in the city post Diwali festival 2019, according to the CPCC data.

Post Diwali last year, Chandigarh had recorded a high concentration of PM 10- (particulate matters with diameter of 10 microns or less) and PM2.5 (particulate matters less than 2.5 microns)-form of air pollution, which is considered most serious.

An AQI between 0-50 is considered good, 51-100 satisfactory, 101-200 moderate, 201-300 poor, 301-400 very poor and 401-500 severe.

As per the general analysis by CPCC, stubble burning, vehicle emissions, industries emissions and construction works are the major factors for air pollution in the city.

Earlier, the State of Environment Report, Chandigarh (SOEC) 2018 had stated that vehicle emissions have become the major reason of pollution in the city. Chandigarh has over two vehicle per capita households, making it the city with highest density of vehicles in the country. The percentage increase in the total number of vehicles in Chandigarh for more than over a decade (2007-2018) has been over 24.5, the SOEC had stated.