IIT-Kanpur to study Delhi's air pollution, give solutions to curb winter smog spike 

 The project will help identify the factors responsible for the spike in air pollution at any spot in Delhi. Government says it will take necessary actions to curb pollution based on results
Pic: Edexlive
Pic: Edexlive

The Delhi government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT Kanpur to understand the pollutants of air in Delhi on a real-time basis. According to Environment Minister Gopal Rai, this deal will help in suggesting short, medium and long-term recommendations for reducing air pollution contribution. Winter is coming to Delhi, and with it comes thick clouds of smog that greet the people every morning. While stubble burning in neighbouring states and industrial air pollution is attributed to the phenomenon, it often gets worse after the festival of Diwali. Last year, for example, the national capital recorded its worst Air Quality Index (AQI) in four years after Diwali. In 2017, the matter had touched severity when pollutants in the air were recorded at 999 -  scores ahead of the accepted limit of 60-100.

The Environment Minister expressed satisfaction over the fact that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was the first to sign such an agreement. He said, "We are thrilled to sign this MOU and the Kejriwal government is the first state government in the entire country to implement such an advanced technology based solution."

The deal has been signed between IIT Kanpur and Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), which is the nodal agency in matters related to pollution in the city. The MoU was signed by Prof AR Harish, Dean of Research and Development from IIT Kanpur and KS Jayachandran, Member Secretary, DPCC.

IIT Kanpur will be working on a project titled Real-Time Source Apportionment and Forecasting for Advance Air Pollution Management in Delhi. As per the plan, scientists will now start working on this innovative project full swing. 

The project was originally presented to the CM by Mukesh Sharma from IIT-Kanpur and was approved by the Delhi cabinet recently. "The technology to carry out real-time source apportionment of pollution has not been implemented in any other city in the country. Weekly, monthly, and seasonal interpretation of air quality will take place, along with additional knowledge of PAHs, molecular markers, and secondary organic and inorganic aerosols," added environment minister Rai.

There will also be a mobile van that will be stationed at various locations in Delhi in order to identify various sources of pollution in different localities of Delhi. The project will help identify the factors responsible for the spike in air pollution at any spot in Delhi. It will help understand the real-time impact of various pollution sources like vehicles, dust, biomass burning, stubble burning, and emissions from industries. Based on the results obtained, the Delhi government will be able to take the necessary actions to curb the sources of pollution.

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