LED boards set up at five spots to display air quality index

The display board outside Sukhna Lake. Express

LED boards have been set up at five busy locations in the city that would display the Air Quality Index.
The boards have been displayed at Sukhna lake (at the entrance of the walking track), Sector 17-adjoining Neelam Cinema Hall, ISBT Sector 43, PGIMER Sector 12 near Trauma Centre and Chandigarh Railway Station.
The boards would display environmental data along with other related concerns. Residents would now be able to know the quality of air they are breathing. There would be six categories of Air Quality Index on the screen – good, satisfactory, moderately polluted, poor, very poor and severe.

When the air index is from 51 to 100 (satisfactory), the board will display that there can be minor breathing trouble to sensitive people. If the air index is from 301 to 400, it is very poor and will indicate that it can can cause respiratory illness on prolonged exposure. If it is from 401 to 500, it will indicate that it can seriously impact those who are suffering from illness.

The Air Quality Index is calculated with the help of a calculator developed by the Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi. It is a tool for effective communication of air quality status to the people in terms that easy to understand. It is calculated on the basis of average values of RSPM, PM 2.5, NO and sulphur dioxide.

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The basic idea is to sensitise and educate the masses about the various environmental problems and to act accordingly. The board would also display messages like the ill-effects of using plastic or polythene, e-waste, battery waste and others.

The Air Quality Index of the city will be shown with designated colour to easily identify the air quality of the city.

Till now, the pollution levels were only being displayed outside the office of Paryavaran Bhawan in Sector 19.