J-K gets its first real-time air-monitoring station at Srinagar

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 14 : Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday got its first real-time air-quality monitoring station with the inauguration of the first-ever Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) at Jammu And Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) headquarters in Srinagar's Rajbagh.
According to a press release issued by the Department of Information and Public Relation, the station was inaugurated by Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Committee, Suresh Chugh.
Terming it as a major achievement of Jammu and Kashmir PCC, Chairman thanked all the officers and the entire team for putting in their best efforts in the successful installation and commissioning of the station which saw many hiccups and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CAAQMS, which was put on trial run for two months before its inauguration, is highly sophisticated equipment that gives real-time air quality data of a particular area especially the key parameters like PM10, PM 2.5, NOX, SOX, Ozone which determine the air quality of that area.
The installation of CAAQMS has been mandated in all the non-attainment cities across the country, including Jammu and Srinagar.
The chairman informed the gathering that the air quality monitoring network will be established and later extended to all district headquarters of Jammu and Kashmir in due course of time.
Further, two similar stations are going to be established in Jammu province. During the presentation, it was informed that the air quality data generated by CAAQMS has been linked with the CPCB portal and the Air Quality Index (AQI) has been made public enabling any person sitting in any corner of the world to access the Air Quality of Srinagar city.