Hubballi: Analysis of winter air pollution in South India, conducted by the Center for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, has revealed that Karnataka shows a large gap of data from automatic air quality monitoring stations in the region with the quality of the sustained ambient air monitoring station ( CAAQMS) Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
Analysis, including 63 CAAQMs spread across 39 cities in five southern countries, it has observed the challenges of data on data and data quality despite automation in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The situation is relatively better at Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala.
“Among Bengaluru Station, Silk Board, only 61% while the Peenya and Jayanagar with 64% and 68%.
Only 12 of the 21 Karnataka stations outside Bengaluru meet a minimum requirement of 75%.
It is not clear why these stations have poor data availability, This requires an additional assessment, “the analysis that was emphasized “For the second half of 2021, the availability of data at the City Railway Station and Halli Saneguraava Station Bengaluru and Udupi had zero percent.
Kalaburagi and Bidar each registered 39% and 7% of data availability.
Gadag and Kalaburagi also reported bad air days That is significant, actually the air quality index (AQI) in these cities can cross into the very bad AQI category but because of the large number of data is lost, it is not clear how long this bad air episode survives.
“Commenting on the analysis, former IFS officials and Dr.
An Yelppa Reddy environment regrets that air quality monitoring stations are left without proper care and are installed only for names after name.
“Even if the data is available, it is inaccurate because many of them are being built for 2-3 years in tall buildings where pollution will be circulated in the surrounding area.
This happened because there was no seriousness among officials of the Karnataka state pollution control agency (KSPCB ).
Most KSPCB officials are involved in income generating activities, “he said.
Highlights of the analysis * during the worst weekly pollution episodes in winter, PM2.5 concentration can increase significantly higher that the average PM2.5 annual – about twice as high in several cities.
The worst episode was recorded in Gadag which registered a surprising weekly average of 192 UG / M3 (almost 5 times the annual average).
Likewise, Kalaburagi recorded a weekly average of 104 in mid-December.
* Chikkaballapur shows the highest 65% of the PM2.5 / PM10 ratio in the winter in Karnataka, and the second highest in South India.
* Ten Caaqms in Bengaluru, each in Bagaluru, Bidar, Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapur, Chikkamagalur, Davangere, Gadag, Hassan, Hubballi, Kalaburagi, Rough, Koppal, Madikeri, Mangalore, Mysore, Raichur, Rannagara, Shivamogga, Udupi, Vijayapura and Yadgir is borne for analysis.