To bolster measurement of air pollution in rural India

Solution

To bolster measurement of air pollution in rural India, the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, is embarking on a $2 . 5 - million project to install nearly 1,400 sensors in the rural blocks of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar . The three - year project is expected to be a pilot that and could pave the way for a national network of air quality sensors in rural India . In 2019, the government launched the National Clean Air Programme ( NCAP ) to reduce particulate matter air pollution by 20 - 30 % by 2024 . This is primarily aimed at 122 cities that have been categorised as India ’ s most polluted cities . The country ’ s current annual safe limits for PM 2 . 5 and PM 10 are 40 micrograms / per cubic metre ( ug / m3 ) and 60 micrograms / per cubic metre . Under NCAP, ₹375 . 44 crore was provided to 114 cities from 2018 - 19 to 2020 - 21 and ₹290 crore was allocated to 82 cities for the financial year 2021 - 22 . The programme has an allocation of ₹700 crore envisaged for 2021 - 26 .