The Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) in its measure to at least make residents know what they are taking in has installed a State of the art air quality monitoring system at Van Bhawan.
Old residents of Ranchi may feel bizarre that one day their ‘green city’ would come under dark clouds of pollution! Alas, the rapid growth of the city has also added to the blues that led to a situation that requires surety before even inhale.
The system along with collecting data about presence of suspended particulate matters (SPM) in the air would also read content of poisonous Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Sulphur Dioxide (SO2).
The mechanism, first of its kind in the State, would be run in the partnership with Tata Steel and Jharkhand’s Forest and Environment Department besides the JSPCB.
Tata Steel has born the entire cost coming on purchasing and installment of the machine whereas the Board would run the system with man power and other monthly expenses. The Department has provided the required space at its office premises.
Speaking on the occasion, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) of the State AK Malhotra said that it would benefit entire Jharkhand. “We know that uses of technology have fastened the destruction of forest but at the same time it can also pave way for conservation. The monitoring system would make people realise the problem we are living with and save them from remaining in an ostrich like situation,” said Malhotra.
The JSPCB has set some standards for air quality those are at par with bigger and modern cities of the country.
Though, no supporting step has so far been taken to generate awareness among masses and make available them the first hand data about the air quality.
Also present on the occasion was JSPCB Chairman Mani Shankar who termed it a positive step taken in the right direction. “Earlier this kind of mechanism has been in bigger and advanced cities only. Now we have this in Ranchi that is also first of the State installed at any public space.
It will measure particulate matters of 10 and 2.5 micrograms those are caused primarily through vehicular pollution. The JSPCB would study the data compare those with other cities. This will help us in preparing action plan to improve air quality in the city,” said Mani Shankar. The system presently would monitor the air quality of about 3-5 kilometers radius.