The government on Friday launched the National Air Quality Index (AQI) scheme to ensure mass participation in measures to tackle rising air pollution in cities.
The programme, to be implemented by the Central Pollution Control Board, will enable it to disseminate information on air quality in simple terms. Earlier, the information on air quality was reported in complex terms.
Mail Today had on July 25 reported the Centre's plan to launch the AQI pattern of monitoring air pollution.
The national index will measure air pollution on eight parameters - PM10 (Particulate matter up to 10 micrometers in size), PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone, ammonia and lead. All these pollutants will be measured for 24 hours.
Based on the measured ambient concentrations, the corresponding standards and likely health impacts, a sub-index will be calculated for each pollutant. The worst sub-index will be treated as the overall AQI.
According to the scheme, an AQI of 0-50 is treated as "good" while that of 51-100 is considered "satisfactory". A "moderately polluted" location is one with AQI of 101-200 while "poor" AQI will be in the range of 201-300. The index values between 301 and 400 will be for "very poor" air quality while anything in the range of 401-500 is classified as "severe". Each category will have descriptions of the likely health impacts.
For a period of five years, the CPCB plans to use the scheme for collecting air quality data from its stations in 46 cities and 20 state capitals with a population of more than a million. Later, the agency will use it in cities with a population of more than half a million.
