New system to measure air quality

<p><strong>To be jointly developed by the U.S. and Finland to forecast pollution levels</strong></p> <p><strong></strong>India is tying up with the United States and Finland to develop a pollution-forecast system that will help anticipate particulate matter (<strong>PM</strong>) levels at least two days in advance and at a greater resolution than what is possible now. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (<strong>MoES</strong>) will be coordinating this exercise and the plan is to have a system in place by winter, according to <strong>Madhavan Rajeevan, secretary</strong>, <strong>MoES</strong>.</p> <p>Currently, the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (<strong>SAFAR</strong>), run out of the <strong>Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune</strong>, serves as the apex forecaster of pollution trends in <strong>Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad.</strong> It generates a likely air quality profile, a day in advance, for these cities. <strong>IITM</strong> is an organisation under the <strong>MoES</strong>.</p> <p>The new system, to be jointly developed with expertise from the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the U.S.&rsquo; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will use a different modelling approach as well as computational techniques from that employed in the <strong>SAFAR</strong> model.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong style="font-weight: bold;">Better resolution</strong></p> <p>&ldquo;<strong>SAFAR</strong> will continue to be the backbone [for pollution forecast] but this system, which will require our scientists to get special training, will use a different method of analysis. This could mean better resolution and more accurate forecasts,&rdquo; said Mr. Rajeevan.</p> <p>This refers to the partially-burnt straw and chaff from fields in <strong>Uttar Pradesh and Haryana</strong>, when farmers are preparing their fields for the sowing season. &ldquo;We hope to develop the system before this winter,&rdquo; Mr. Rajeevan added.</p> <p>Last week, the<strong> Union Environment Ministry </strong>released a draft of the <strong>National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)</strong> that aims to improve air quality monitoring in India by increasing the number of pollution monitoring stations and, incorporating it into a pollution forecast system.</p>