New Delhi: Vehicles were the single largest contributor to Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution Saturday, accounting for 25%, according to data generated by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology’s (IITM) newly inaugurated Integrated Atmospheric Chemistry and Aerosol Toxicity Analysis Laboratory (AATAL). Secondary organic aerosols contributed 18.4%, followed by secondary inorganic aerosols (16.5%), road dust (10.9%) and waste burning (5%).
Equipped with 25 advanced instruments and built at an estimated instrument cost of Rs 79.5 crore, the facility is designed to identify pollutants, trace their sources, understand how they transform in the atmosphere and assess their potential health impacts. Data generated over the past five days show that vehicles, secondary organic aerosols and secondary inorganic aerosols have consistently been the top contributors to Delhi’s PM2.5 levels, although their shares have varied. Singh said, “Earlier, the discussion would largely revolve around whether the pollution level was 100 or 200. The previous system operated by IIT Kanpur ceased in Nov 2023 after Delhi govt halted the project.
Officials said the laboratory would strengthen research on the interaction of aerosols with moisture, fog and haze, particularly during winter in northern India. Officials said the initiative would now be resumed with the help of IIT Delhi. The laboratory, which provides real-time source-apportionment data, was inaugurated in New Rajendra Nagar by Union minister of state Jitendra Singh Saturday. This facility will help us understand the composition of pollution as well as the contribution of different sources. This ensures that action is based on scientific evidence. The facility restores real-time source-apportionment data for Delhi after a gap of nearly three years.
The laboratory is expected to support the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) and other agencies in identifying major pollution sources, prioritising interventions and assessing their effectiveness. It will provide measurement-based evidence to pinpoint sectors and locations contributing to deteriorating air quality and support coordinated action across Delhi-NCR.