USEFULNESS OF NATIONAL AIR QUALITY DATABASE: A CRITICAL REVIEW

ABSTRACT

Air pollution has become a continually growing problem particularly in urban areas. The problem continues to persist and is assuming alarming dimensions in many cities around the globe, despite the efforts made towards air quality management. In order to understand and analyze the problem, and to formulate an appropriate air quality management strategy, a strong and reliable air quality database is a prerequisite. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), New Delhi, the apex Indian regulatory agency, coordinates a nation-wide programme on national ambient air quality monitoring (NAAQM) encompassing 295 sites covering more than 90 cities/towns of the country. This involves massive effort with significant manpower and financial inputs. Nearly one hundred laboratories are involved in air quality monitoring across the country, and the air pollutants monitored at all the sites are SPM, SO2 and NO2. The data, thus generated, are transmitted to CPCB for scrutiny, analysis, compilation and publication as consolidated reports. These reports are treated as most important, authentic and reliable source of information on air quality of different cities in the country, and are widely referred to by various government agencies/ departments, ministries, researchers, academicians, consultants, industries, NGO’s and public in general, for multiple purposes. These data provide the base for formulation of various policies, action plans and R&D activities, from local levels to global level, involving considerable resources. Realizing the importance and utility of the data, it is necessary that it should be consistent and comparable, regardless of the sources, i.e. participating laboratories/agencies involved in the programme. An attempt has been made in this paper to critically analyze the air quality data of some cities with a view to observe trend variations, and ascertain whether it leads to some logical conclusions. The exercise reveals that the actual air quality status of the study region, and the effect of various initiatives to control air pollution are not discernible as we are yet to evolve a better understanding of the parameters influencing the air quality. Considering the above, this paper examines some of these aspects and suggests measures to strengthen the national air quality monitoring programme, so that the data collected under the programme could be utilized more meaningfully to delineate appropriate management strategies for better air quality.