GURUGRAM: For the first time, Haryana State PollutionControl Board (HSPCB) has monitored ambient air quality at four different locations in the city, apart from the usual VikasSadan, a study that was undertaken on the directions of National Green Tribunal (NGT).
And the compiled data, which is can be termed as the most authentic indicator available till date, has revealed that the concentration of pollutants in the city air is almost regularly well above the national safe standards.
According to the HSPCB report (a copy of which is with TOI), which was submitted to the NGT a few days ago, the measurements were taken at Krishna Chowk in Sector 21, Gurgaon bus stand, Dwarka expressway in Sector 105 and Gurgaon railway station.
With the RSPM (respirable suspended particulate matter) level at 194, Dwarka expressway has been found to be the most polluted among the four selected locations. The railway station, where the RSPM level was found to be 182, is the second worst in terms of air quality, followed by Krishna Chowk (144) and Gurgaon bus stand (156). The national safe standard for RSPM is 100g/m³.
Concentrations of oxides of nitrogen and sulphur dioxide, nevertheless, have been found to be within the safe limits, i.e. 80g/m³.
The air quality measurement drive was untaken following the NGT directive in the case of AdyaKochgaway vs the government of Haryana & others (original application No. 147 of 2017). While hearing the case on March 9, NGT had ordered the pollution watchdog to prepare a complete and comprehensive report on ambient air quality in Gurgaon and Sohna. Also, the green tribunal had asked HSPCB to examine the causes of pollution to take remedial measures immediately.
Generally, the pollution in Gurgaon is measured only at the lone stationary air quality monitoring machine at VikasSadan near Rajiv Chowk. The machine can measure pollutants within the radius of five-six kilometres only, and thus does not reflect the real condition of the entire city.
Dr Jai Bhagwan, regional officer, HSPCB, said that air samples were taken with the help of Heavy Volume Samplers (HVSs) from the four locations in Gurgaon for eight hours in two days. "We have a stationary air monitoring station at VikasSadan. However, following the NGT order, our teams visited the four locations for two days and collected the samples. The samples were later sent for laboratory tests to measure ambient air quality," he told TOI.
In Sohna, the samples were collected from Sigma Corporation, Bhondsi, near STP Sohna, and near PWD office. However, unlike Gurgaon, the air quality there has been found to be within the safe limits.
In its report, the HSPCB has also listed steps it claims to have taken to control air pollution in Gurgaon. Action against illegal parking, use of automated sweeping machines to reduce dust and regular inspection of construction sites are among the steps taken by the authorities to check dust pollution.
