The automatic air ambient monitoring system provides real time air quality data based on 12 parameters, including particulate matter, NO2, SO2 and CO2 levels, and the air quality index. Noida has around 8,000 industrial units, six sewage treatment plants and hundreds of under-construction realty projects, which are major causes of pollution.

Until now, there was no facility to get real time automatic updates on air pollution; there were only two manual systems. The manual systems provide data on the level of particulate matter-10, SO2 and NO2 on a weekly basis.

“We have successfully installed a fully automatic machine to give instant updates on air pollution. We installed it on March 27. It is yet to stabilize and it is being trialled. We will start providing updates on pollution levels from the next week. A display screen will be put outside the Amity University within a week,” BB Awasthi, regional officer of UPPCB, Noida, said.

Residents had been demanding for a real time air monitoring system in the city for the last six years. Also, despite the setting up of the system, environmentalists have complained to UPPCB office in Lucknow and Central agencies, seeking more than one station each in Noida and Greater Noida.

“One automatic station each in Noida and Greater Noida is not enough to determine the air quality. Each area (where the system is set up) has a different level of pollution. Residents will not be able to get the correct picture with just one automatic machine because the characteristics of the areas are different. We demand at least 3-4 such stations so that residents can gauge the situation and take precautions if necessary,” VikramTongad, an environmentalist, said.

The UPPCB on March 31 had floated a tender to set up automatic air monitoring station in UP cities, including Greater Noida. “Besides one automatic station in Greater Noida, two manual stations will be set up to calculate the level of pollution level in Greater Noida,” a UPPCB official said.