Govt to identify pollutants on real-time basis

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 3

The Delhi government’s Environment Department has decided to commission a study to know the real-time identification of distribution of source for air pollution to enable it to design its action-plan for combating air pollution in the capital along with identification of pollutants and their extent of contribution to the city’s declining air quality.

The cabinet today approved the Department of Environment proposal for Real time Apportionment study for Air Pollution in Delhi of granting consultancy job entitled, “Real Time Source Apportionment study for Air Pollution in Delhi” to University of Washington’s Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering.

The task is entrusted on nomination basis by invoking Rule 194, GFR 2017 for a total project cost of Rs. 1.20 crore approx (US$ 175,000), as per the government.

“A fresh, comprehensive and reliable study is required to enable Delhi government to plan its actions and install real time pollutant source identification model in Delhi. The project is to be completed within a period of 18 months from the date of award of the study,” read a statement issued by the government.

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has been authorised to finalise detailed terms of reference for the study with mutual consultations with Washington University team.

The city’s pollution board is supposed to finalise the payment conditions and required clearances, if payments are to be made in foreign currency to Washington University and approval for payment to be met out from Air Ambience Fund is to be maintained by it too. Duration of the study is one-and-a-half years.

A brief proposal was submitted by Dr Pratim Biswas and Dr Ramesh Raliya, research scientists of the Washington University in St. Louis, USA.

"The will also be setting up a cloud based platform where the data can be shared and viewed by approved groups from during the course of the project," added official.