New air monitoring stations for Indian city

The Indian city of Pune is to receive more air monitoring stations in a bid to improve the air quality around the city, it has been reported.

New and more sophisticated monitoring instruments will be installed around the city at a greater number of locations, the Times of India revealed.

This will allow scientists to measure finer particles of particulate matter (PM) pollution in line with the latest guidelines from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

According to the news agency, the city's continued expansion means that the ambient air quality needs to be measured across a wider area if an accurate picture of pollution levels is to be established.

Professor Gadgil of the University of Pune's department of environmental science told the publication that his organisation had recently recommended the installation of new ambient air quality monitoring (AAQM) stations around the region.

"Currently, there are three AAQMs in the city, but the city is fast expanding and there is a dire need for more stations in different areas," he said.

Authorities in Pune have been working alongside the US Environmental Protection Agency since 2002 to establish a demonstration project relating to the effective management of urban air quality in the city.

Posted by Claire Manning