Central PSU's commit to fund 70 pollution monitoring stations

The National Air Quality Index (NAQI), one of the few major achievements of the environment ministry in NDA's first year, has received a timely financial boost, at a time when questions were raised about how the ministry would sustain the Rs500 crore project. The NAQI, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi this April, gives citizens real-time, colour coded information on the pollution levels across severely polluted Indian cities. The project has now got much needed financial backing from central public sector undertakings (PSU's) that will fill the monetary gaps created by cutting down of environment ministry's budget for 2015-16.

Following its launch, NAQI was facing stiff funding hurdles. In order to shore up funds for the project, MoEF&CC had written to several central public sector undertakings (PSU's). Senior ministry officials told dna that the response of PSU's has been more than encouraging. Around 70 air quality monitoring stations, new and old, would receive funding from PSU's. "We would be replacing central pollution control board's existing air quality monitoring stations and also add new ones under NAQI with the money from PSU's," said a senior secretary of the ministry on the condition of anonymity.

PSU's from the energy and mining sector such as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd., Power Finance Corporation Ltd., Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd, Coal India Ltd and National Mineral Development Corporation Ltd have committed their support for the project, officials said. PSU's from the steel and gas sector are likely to follow suit. "Each station would cost around Rs1.2 to 1.5 crores. The funding from PSU's will take care of the installation, operation and maintenance costs for the first year and later, we will handle its operations," the senior official added.

The ministry is likely to begin tendering for the projects late June or July. In the battle to reduce air pollution in the country, the NAQI has been the government's first step. A real-time NAQI did not exist before.

The first phase of NAQI – that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched early this month- has covered Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow Varanasi, Faridabad, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Chennai. These cities were added in the first phase as they are some of the most critically polluted ones in the country. The next phases will involve taking the project to other state capitals and cities with a population of more than a million.

Under NAQI, the quality of air is categorized by colour codes of green, orange and red signifying safe, moderate and severe levels of pollution respectively and also gives information on which pollutants are in higher quantities. In the future, as part of the project's thrust on awareness, the ministry also plans to put up large display screens at key traffic junctions that will inform the public on prevailing air quality and its health hazards.

In first phase
The first phase of NAQI – that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched early this month- has covered Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow Varanasi, Faridabad, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Chennai. These cities were added in the first phase as they are some of the most critically polluted ones in the country. The next phases will involve taking the project to other state capitals and cities with a population of more than a million.

Info on air quality
Under NAQI, the quality of air is categorized by colour codes of green, orange and red signifying safe, moderate and severe levels of pollution respectively and also gives information on which pollutants are in higher quantities. In the future, as part of the project's thrust on awareness, the ministry also plans to put up large display screens at key traffic junctions that will inform the public on prevailing air quality and its health hazards.