Live Mint , Saturday, October 18, 2014

Correspondent : Nikita Mehta

New Delhi: In an attempt to make air quality measurement easier to understand, the ministry of environment and forests launched a National Air Quality Index on Thursday. “We have added five more components to the new measurement process: Particulate Matter 2.5, ozone, carbon monoxide, ammonia and lead,” said environment minister Prakash Javadekar. Particulate matter 2.5 are fine particles in the air that cause haze and reduce visibility. The index classifies air quality simply as good, satisfactory, moderately polluted, poor, very poor, and severe. Each band is represented by a colour code to visually express the level of severity that people can grap easily. Air quality is classified as good if pollution levels are at least 50% below the regulatory standards. The readings will be reported daily by the state pollution control boards. The government will also issue health alerts based on the index by describing possible health consequences of each air quality band. The warnings will be given for vulnerable segments in the population including the elderly, children, and those suffering from heart and respiratory problems. Air pollution has been an issue of concern in the country. A World Health Organization (WHO) study in May and a Yale University study in February found the air in New Delhi to be the most polluted. “Now one number, one colour and one description will help people to understand the quality of air they are breathing,” said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director-research and advocacy and head of the air pollution team at the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). “CSE has been demanding adoption of this programme as this can help people to understand the quality of air and the possible health effects. This is needed to demystify complex air quality data, help promote public awareness and build public pressure for effective air pollution control in cities,” she added. The index was prepared by an expert group set up by the Union ministry of environment and forests. The group included prominent medical doctors from leading hospitals and research bodies including the CSE.

SOURCE : http://www.livemint.com/Politics/51h6ZwFNt7eyoirJagdKLI/Govt-launches-National-Air-Quality-Index.html