The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has set up a continuous ambient air quality monitoring system above the traffic aid-post building at the old bus stand at Palayam in the city.
With a screen to display the quality of air at any given point of time, the system assesses air quality through nine parameters including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, carbon dioxide and particulate matters, measured in micro grams per cubic metre.
“The screen will display these parameters along with the acceptable limits, for the public to view and assess,” said Diya M., Assistant Engineer at KSPCB, Kozhikode.
The system is the third of its kind being set up in Kerala, the first being in Thiruvananthapuram and the second in Kochi. The fully automatic machine costs above Rs.1 crore.
“The purpose of the system is to create awareness among the public about the need to keep our environment pollution free. It helps the commoner keep track of air pollution levels and make decisions on how to tackle it,” Ms. Diya said.
“The KSPCB plans to connect the monitoring systems to its offices to keep track of the smallest changes in air quality,” said C.V. Jayasree, Chief Environment Engineer of KSPCB, Kozhikode.
The system is undergoing trial run at present. The Board plans to launch it officially by mid-December.
