Assam: Silchar gets a Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station to combat pollution

A Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) was inaugurated in Silchar on Wednesday by Member of Parliament from Silchar Dr Rajdeep Roy, alongside Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty, Deputy Commissioner Rohan Kumar Jha, Dr Arup Mishra (Chairman of Pollution Control Board, Assam), Dr Shantanu Kumar Dutta (Secretary, PCBA), and Manjul Dev (Chairman, Silchar Development Authority). 

The CAAQMS will help in monitoring and analysing the quality of outdoor air in Silchar on a real-time basis, and aid in risk management decisions, said Dr Roy. The instrument analyses air pollutants such as PM 10, PM 2.5, SOX, NOX, NO, NO2, NH3, Benzene, CO, temperature, Ozone, and meteorological data like rainfall, wind direction, humidity, and wind speed. 

The CAAQMS has been installed at a total cost of Rs1.10 crore under the National Clean Air Program (NCAP). The program was launched in 2019 to bring down air pollution levels in non-attainment cities. 

Out of 122 cities identified with higher pollution levels, five cities in Assam, including Silchar, were found to be non-attainment cities. The CAAQMS will play an important role in combating pollution in Silchar.

Earlier on January 29, Pollution Control Board, Assam in association with Nowgong College (autonomous) inaugurated a continuous ambient air quality monitoring station, installed under National Clean Air Programme at the college premises on Friday. The fund for installation of the air quality monitoring station was sanctioned under National Clean Air Programme by Central Pollution Control Board, Government of India. The station will monitor the air quality or other information regarding the presence of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, ammonia, carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene etc in the air of the small town all the time, a release added.

In 2018, Central Pollution Control Board identified a total of 132 metropolitan cities as well as small towns across India including 5 metropolitan as well as small towns of Assam like Guwahati, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sivasagar and Silchar as growing polluted cities and it was done on basis of a prolonged survey report conducted across the country from 2011 to 2015 by the concerned government agency itself.

The inaugural programme was initiated by internal quality assurance cell of the college. The programme was anchored by Dr Bhuban Chandra Chetia, coordinator to internal quality assurance cell while Dr Sarat Borkatoki, principal of the college delivered the welcome address. Rajya Sabha MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa attended the programme as the chief guest and ceremonially inaugurated the centre during the brief function. Local MLA Rupak Sarma Arup Kumar Mishra, chairman to Pollution Control Board, Assam were also present in the inaugural function.