The State government has sanctioned ₹64 crore to set up a state-of-the-art Integrated Environment Monitoring Studio that will provide real-time information from the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS).
The studio will provide information to regulatory bodies to take immediate preventive and corrective measures. The data will be in public domain to alert people about air pollution.
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) would establish 28 stations in the district headquarters and major cities with a population of one lakh and above.
Of these, 17 stations would be commissioned in the first phase. This would help strengthen the real-time monitoring and give a comprehensive picture of air quality in the State.
Minister for Finance and Human Resource Management Palanivel Thiaga Rajan had made an announcement to this effect. A Government Order has been passed now.
Drive against plastics
In another order, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Secretary Supriya Sahu said that the ban on single-use plastics would be implemented with public participation. Under a pilot project, the Koyambedu market would be made free of single-use plastics. The TNPCB shall steer the project jointly with the Greater Chennai Corporation.
The other measures include close monitoring of extended producers’ responsibility, devising and implementing a green protocol to enable significant reduction in plastics waste that are banned in government buildings and offices.
Steps will be taken to tackle marine debris (fishing gears and nets that are lost, abandoned or discarded at harbours or beaches responsible for trapping and killing marine animals), the order said.
