Pollution hotspot identification study begins in Indore, city to witness various tests & surveys

A team of researchers and experts have started examining and analysing emissions from eateries and rural areas in the Indore district. The initiative has been taken under the International Clear Air Catalyst Programme (ICACP) which aims to identify pollution hotspots in the cities and rural areas. The data collected by the survey will be used to prepare a Source Apportionment Study. The evaluations are being conducted by the World Resources Institute and Environmental Defense Fund in collaboration with Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC).

Rural areas to be surveyed

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Various surveys will be conducted in the rural areas to identify the hotspots with the aim to understand pollution from waste and stubble burning and the use of fuel in irrigation. Additionally, questionnaires for the same have been prepared and the responses will be collected for different categories of the survey.

A similar ground-level survey for evaluating types of pollutants and their sources was conducted by a team of experts and volunteers under the ICACP last month. Despite being the cleanest city in India, Indore continues to cross the standard level of Air pollution.

Air pollution levels high in Indore

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The scope for source apportionment studies includes preparation of emission inventories, monitoring of ambient air quality for various pollutants at selected locations, chemical speciation of PM 10 & PM 2.5 as well as source emissions, application of receptor (CMB8) & dispersion models to assess the contribution from various sources, future projections and evaluation of various control options to develop cost-effective action plans.

The city is counted as one of the non-attainment cities in the country. This means that over a period of 5 years, Indore has not met National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). In a bid to create an emission inventory for identifying pollutants types, a total of seven types of activities will be mapped, eateries, vehicles, road dust, crematorium, garbage burning and construction. The study is being carried out with the objective of identifying sources of air pollution and finding viable solutions for the same.