Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa’s air quality will now be monitored through the low-cost sensor network for more accurate measurement of harmful pollutant concentration in the air.
The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) during its meeting held on September 7, has granted its approval to the proposal put forth by the Indian Institute Technology (IIT) Goa, who recommended the need for deploying sensor network for more efficient air data collection and analysis.
The Board had in June, accorded in-principal approval for the project.
As per the proposal, the IIT Goa wants to have a collaborative effort with Pollution Control Board to have a comprehensive understating of the air quality data across the State by deploying low cost sensor network for more efficient data collection and analysis.
States like Maharashtra, Meghalaya have already adopted concept of senor monitoring of air quality on trial basis.
The sensors will monitor particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), ozone, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), and sulphur oxides (SOx).
Currently, the ambient air quality monitoring is conducted through a manual method (analysis of pollutants measured once every six days where data is transferred manually) and through continuous method (automatic real-time data collection of pollutants measured).
Manual monitors to measure air quality have been used since 1984-85 by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which was later renamed the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) network.
Low-cost monitoring sensors measure ambient air quality based on light scattering technology using much smaller equipment as compared to existing air quality measuring technology.
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in its recent report has revealed that 13 per cent of the total deaths reported in Goa in 2019, were attributed to air pollution.
