PUNE: After trying several ways to curb the growing air pollution in the city, the Pune municipal corporation (PMC) has now decided to discover the root cause of the pollution. As a first step in this direction, the PMC, in association with the US-Asia environment partnership and the United States environment protection agency (USEPA), has resolved to set up a air quality management (AQM) cell in the city.

Elaborating on the project, municipal commissioner Nitin Kareer on Monday told reporters that, contrary to popular belief, the growing number of vehicles alone is not responsible for the air pollution in the city. The tar plants, burning of garbage and plastic, resuspended dust from unpaved roadsides and other factors also aggravate air pollution. Hence, there is an urgent need to identify the source of such individual air pollutants.

The AQM cell will act as a nodal agency among the government and non-government organisations which are also carrying out similar studies. The data collected from all organisations will be useful in identifying the individual sources of pollution and this will help the PMC frame strategies to fight air pollution, Kareer said.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1076019.cms

See Presentation on Management Cell by Mr. Ajay Ojha