Pollution haze: stricter norms,not enough tools

“We don’t want this to be yet another rule that is not implemented properly. We have contacted the Central Pollution Control Board seeking new instruments,” MPCB member secretary Mahesh Pathak said.

“New equipment will also be needed to measure RSPM below 2.5 micrograms per cubic metre. These tools are very expensive at about Rs 5 lakh each but are 10 times more powerful,” Pathak said.

In Mumbai,a major challenge was to bring down industrial RSPM levels from 120 µg/cu m (as per the earlier standards) to 60 µg/cu m,Phatak said.

“Currently,we have 40 online air monitoring units and 30 manual ones in Mumbai. MPCB personally monitors air in Mulund,Vashi,Bandra and Airoli. We have already held meetings for all online monitoring stations and called for extra measures to check pollution in industrial zones,” he said,adding it would take a few months before the standards are streamlined and reports prepared.

Noise and environmental activist Sumaira Abdulali welcomed the new standards but said,“There is also a need to regulate specific pollutants like firecrackers which are highly toxic.”