Introduction
Air quality directly influences the health and well-being of humans, plants, and animals. Poor air quality leads to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, damages ecosystems, and affects visibility and climate. To evaluate and improve air quality, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) oversees Ambient Air Quality Monitoring across India.
This monitoring is guided by the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) notified in 2009 and implemented through the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP). The 2019 CPCB Report presents a detailed assessment of air quality across the country based on data from 804 monitoring stations covering 344 cities in 28 States and 6 Union Territories.
Objectives of NAAQS
According to the CPCB (2019), the National Ambient Air Quality Standards aim to:
Evaluate the natural cleansing capacity of the atmosphere
Applicability
The NAAQS, 2019 are applicable to:
Parameters Monitored
Under NAMP, the CPCB monitors 12 pollutants, including core and supplementary parameters.
Core Pollutants (monitored at all locations):
Meteorological parameters such as wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity, and temperature are also recorded to interpret pollutant dispersion.
Ambient Air Quality Standards
Pollutant | Averaging Period | Concentration in Ambient Air (µg/m³) |
Industrial, Residential, Rural & Other Areas | ||
SO₂ | Annual | 50 |
24-hourly | 80 | |
NO₂ | Annual | 40 |
24-hourly | 80 | |
PM₁₀ | Annual | 60 |
24-hourly | 100 | |
PM₂.₅ | Annual | 40 |
24-hourly | 60 | |
National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP)
Framework
The NAMP, established in 1984, forms the backbone of India’s air quality assessment framework. Monitoring is performed in partnership with:
By 2019, 804 stations were operational across 344 cities. PM₂.₅ was monitored at 317 sites in 147 cities.
Sampling Frequency
Major Findings (2019)
In cities, PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅ were the primary pollutants causing non-attainment, with 251 and 40 cities exceeding limits, respectively.
Data Analysis and Validation
All data collected under NAMP are entered in the Environmental Air Quality Data Entry System (EAQDES) managed by CPCB. CPCB performs the following to maintain data integrity:
Training programs for technicians to ensure standard procedures.
Quality Assurance and Control
To ensure data reliability, CPCB:
Promotes inter-laboratory comparisons for consistency.
Air Quality Trends
Between 2001 and 2019:
Applicability and Policy Relevance
The findings from ambient air quality monitoring are directly used for:
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