Chairman Punjab Pollution Control Board Kahan Singh Pannu, along with the SGPC and CPCB members held a special meeting on Saturday to review the ongoing study of the ambient air around Golden Temple.

RM Bhardwaj and Sharandeep Singh from CPCB, Birinderjit Singh, Kuldip Singh, Sandeep Gupta from PPCB, Jawinder Singh Advocate, Jaswinder Jassi, Gurcharan Singh from SGPC were also present on the occasion.

After the meeting, Pannu informed that Golden Temple being a heritage site falls in sensitive zone. In the sensitive zone it becomes necessary for the authorities concerned to continuously check the level of pollution which is relatively stringent than the residential, commercial and industrial areas.

Pannu said that Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) in association with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has been continuously monitoring the pollution levels for three critical factors namely level of sulphur dioxide (SO2), level of Nitrous oxides (NO2) and the level of Respirable Suspended Particle Matter (RSPM.

He informed that so far the study shows that SO2 and NO2 are within the prescribed limit but the level of RSPM have been found to be on the higher side. The dust in city, vehicular emission, construction activities around Golden Temple are considered to be the main cause of pollution but the extent of pollution caused by each factor can be ascertained only after conducting Source Apportionment Study of RSPM around Golden Temple. So, he has directed CPCB to immediately conduct the Source Apportionment Study of RSPM and ascertain as to what are the major contributors of suspended particles (vehicular emission, dust particles, fuel burnings etc.).

Pannu said that the complete funding of the study will be done PPCB and as and when the findings of the study are obtained, PPCB will suggest appropriate measures to check pollution to Govt. and SGPC authorities.

In addition, he informed that PPCB has also started a study of rainwater during the current monsoons to know the level of chemical precipitation in rainwater affecting the Golden Temple Building. Rainwater measuring instruments have been installed at four sides of Golden Temple complex and the data is being collected and analyzed on regular basis. The water is analyzed to see the amount of sulphate, chloride, magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, ammonium, pH and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS).

Ambient air study is done on weekly basis around Golden Temple to check the level of SO2 and NO2. The District Administration had taken a strict note of rising pollution around Golden Temple and had ordered nearly 150 furnaces operational in Guru Bazaar Area to be transformed to LPG and even the Chappati making machine in Golden Temple was made to run on gas instead of kerosene. An effort was also made to check the vehicular traffic around Golden Temple.