Punjab pollution control board deploys mobile van to measure AQI in paddy harvest season

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Punjab pollution control board (PPCB) will deploy an air quality monitoring van in the state to monitor pollution levels, particularly during paddy harvest season when stubble is set ablaze. Punjab pollution control board (PPCB) will deploy an air quality monitoring van in the state to monitor pollution levels, particularly during paddy harvest season when stubble is set ablaze. (HT File) The mobile van will also create awareness among residents about the type of pollutants they are breathing in. PPCB chairperson Adarsh Pal Vig announced this on the sidelines of India Clean Air Summit (ICAS) 2023, that concluded in Bengaluru on Friday. “It is important for people to know about the air they are breathing. The van will be operated a local industry under corporate environment responsibility (CER),” added Vig. The journey of the air quality monitoring van will start from Khadoor Sahib in Tarn Taran, that already has a forested patch created Baba Sewa Singh, a social worker and environmental. “The air quality of this place will be recorded and then the van will move to other cities, including stubble burning sites, across Punjab comparing the air quality levels of different locations, and explaining to residents the concerns about air quality. The aim is to identify the steps that can be taken to improve the quality of air locally,” he added.