IIT Delhi team to monitor impact of vehicle rationing on pollution levels

NEW DELHI: To analyse the impact of odd-even scheme, which is to be rolled out in November 4, a team from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) will be analyzing the Capital’s pollution using real-time pollution monitoring devices invented by students.

The team will be monitoring Delhi’s air from October 15 to November 15 to study the effectiveness of the car-rationing scheme in improving air quality. The team will be using sensor-based pollution monitoring devices called “Eziomotiv”, invented by the six-member team at IIT through the incubated start up ‘Aerogram’. The IIT’s Centre of Excellence for Research on Clean Air, had provided the initial funding for the project. The tech has been patented and has received ICAD certification.

Pooja Singh from IIT Delhi’s incubation unit told PTI, “The devices will be placed atop around 250 buses running in the national capital to gauge air quality. The devices will help calculate Particulate Matter (PM), heat, temperature and humidity across different terrains, traffic movement, weather and times of the day. We have tied up with the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) for the purpose.”

“Each bus makes 16 trips daily, covering different routes with each of them being around 30 to 40 kms long. The devices have camera and are GPS enabled so we can also track the vehicle’s movements,” Pooja added.

As per the team, the study will be conducted in two phases— first pre odd-even and while the odd-even scheme will be active.

The team had earlier developed ‘EzioStat’ a static pollution monitoring device which is installed at various places in IIT Delhi campus to measure levels of particulate matter.