New Delhi: The 13 newly operational continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) in Delhi have brought an additional 17 lakh people within the estimated 2km coverage radius of a monitoring station, taking the total population covered to around 1.1 crore, according to a new analysis by Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).
TOI had reported that the 13 new locations, which are mostly in outer Delhi, were identified on the basis of ensuring one station per 25 sq km (5 km × 5 km grid) in the city. Their readings should be reported separately where they represent background pollution, so that higher PM2.5 levels in polluted neighbourhoods are not masked by a citywide average, said Kumar.
Manoj Kumar, analyst, CREA, said, “The analysis identifies population-based gaps in Delhi’s CAAQMS network, with clusters of high-priority uncovered areas in eastern, central and south-central Delhi. CREA said the 2km radius is a geographical measure used to compare the network’s reach, but it does not mean that a station captures pollution levels uniformly across that area or that people outside it are necessarily unrepresented. Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) in consultation with Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) identified these locations considering the grid. These areas warrant further assessment to determine whether additional monitoring stations are needed, taking into account existing station coverage, local pollution sources and population distribution. ” He added that stations in greener, less built-up areas may record different pollution levels from those in densely populated neighbourhoods with heavy traffic and other emission sources. Air pollution varies with traffic, industrial activity, local emission sources and weather conditions. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in Delhi