University of Washington may study Delhi's deadly air pollution
The Delhi Government, determined to find out the source of its now-deadly air pollution, is getting ready to commission a project to University of Washington to conduct a real-time source apportionment study. In February, on the third anniversary of the AAP-led Delhi government, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced that they are getting ready for a "round-the-year" study of air pollution.
Proposal almost ready, mechanism used for study may be retained
Environment and Forest Department sources said that the proposal is being finalized and will most likely be implemented in the forthcoming financial year. A department official added that the system to carry out the study will be retained if the experiment is successful. That will help the government to determine the sources of pollution at any time, even after the study finishes.
Study would help understanding and solving Delhi's toxic air: CM
"The study would be a part of a larger push towards understanding and solving Delhi's toxic air quality," said Kejriwal. An earlier study on the same was conducted by IIT-Kanpur, which has already submitted its report to the government. The team did sampling during summer of 2014 and winter of 2013-14 and concluded that particulate pollution was the main cause of Delhi pollution.
Delhi's struggle with air pollution
A Greenpeace report found that 1.2mn people die in India every year due to air-pollution related causes and Delhi topped their list of worst-affected cities. During Diwali in November'17, air quality levels plunged so drastically that the IMA had to declare a public health emergency.
