To get accurate levels of ambient air quality, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) in Mysuru has proposed to relocate one of its monitoring units, situated atop a two-storey building near K.R. Circle, to the premises of the Mysuru Palace.
A proposal in this regard had been submitted to the Mysuru Palace Boardseeking its consent for locating the monitoring device at the premises. So far, the KSPCB had not received reply from the board, which is reportedly planning to place the proposal before the Executive Committee of the Board.
As per the revised norms, a monitoring unit should be placed within a height of 10 metres. But the unit put up on the roof of a building near K.R. Circle/city bus stand exceeds the prescribed norm.
Sources told The Hindu that the board thought of relocating the unit to the palace premises considering the location as ideal for monitoring air pollution levels.
“We have requested the board to identify a place for placing the unit which hardly occupies any space. This will help us get accurate results since it will be placed within the specified height,” sources added.
The air quality is also being monitored at the KSPCB office in Hebbal (industrial). The KSPCB had been monitoring the ambient air quality at two locations here under the National Ambient Air Quality Programme (NAAQP). The levels of particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen had been on the rise (barring some years when the levels dipped marginally). Only the particulate matter pollution is inching to staggering levels. The sources said the relocation of the monitoring unit may help to get precise levels of the pollutants for evolving better management strategies.
