IIT Guwahati & PCBA join hands to tackle air pollution in Assam

GUWAHATI: Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Pollution Control Board Assam (PCBA) under the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). This initiative is taken to curb air pollution in the identified cities – Guwahati, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sibsagar and Silchar where particulate matter levels (PM10) exceed the annual average ambient air quality standards.

The MoU was signed between Professor Shared Gokhale, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Guwahati and Dr D N Das, Member Secretary of PCBA along with other officials from IIT Guwahati and the PCBA. The city-specific interventions and action plans will be prepared, targeting about 20 to 30 per cent reduction of PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations by 2024, to be implemented by PCBA.

Professor Gokhale said, “The current levels of PM10 and PM2.5 in Guwahati and other cities of Assam are alarming and show increasing trends. Asthmatic condition among children is on the rise. In light of this, I welcome the move of MoEF&CC as NCAP will create more awareness among the public and help strengthen the capacity building activities to tackle particulate pollution in the selected cities of Assam. IIT Guwahati is, therefore, committed to extending technical assistance to the PCBA in improving the air quality monitoring network and carrying out technical studies to develop a suitable city-wise air quality management plan, which we will convert into an implementable action plan for the selected cities of Assam.”