State to get 11 air quality monitoring stations

Bengaluru: Under the Central government's National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and Karnataka government's Vision 2020 eleven new Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) will be set up in the State.

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has asked the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) to put these stations in industrial areas. Three CAAQMS will be set up this year.

Confirming the news, Srinivasulu, member secretary, KSPCB told The Hans India, "Under NCAP and Vision 2020 some funds were released to the BBMP. Three of 11 sanctioned air monitoring stations will be set up this year. Since industrial effluents are the major source of pollution we have asked the KIADB to set up these in industrial areas. The KSPCB has given the technical inputs."

Four stations will be set up in Bengaluru while Gulbarga, Davengere, Belgaum and Dharwad will get one each. The other three will be set up in the industrial areas like Jigani and Tumkuru. However, a final decision is yet to be taken.

In the long term action plan the government has decided to promote more battery promoted vehicles. In this regard, the transport department has transferred an amount of Rs 4 crore by the way of deposit contribution to BESCOM for the purpose of establishing charging stations for electric vehicles.

In Bengaluru, Central Silk Board and City Railway Station are the worst polluted areas where the Air Quality Index (AQI) wavers between 100-115. At Raichur, Koppal, Hubli and Kalaburgi fall in the moderate category with PM10 being a major pollutant.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) an AQI between 0-50 is considered 'good', 51-100 is 'satisfactory', 101-200 'moderate', 201-300 'poor', 301-400 'very poor' and 401-500 'severe'.