New Delhi: Anand Vihar, Jahangirpuri and Bawana emerged as critical hotspots in Nov due to high industrial emissions, vehicular density and crop residue burning. These places recorded PM2.5 levels of over 300 micrograms per cubic metre, a report by Respirer Living Sciences, a climate-tech startup, has revealed.
Among the stations in Delhi that recorded high PM2.5 concentrations were Ashok Vihar (300.1), Vivek Vihar (302), Jahangirpuri (303.3), Bawana (306.4), Anand Vihar (307.7) and Wazirpur (312.1). The daily national ambient air quality standard for PM2.5 is only 60 micrograms per cubic metre.
The analysis, which also utilised Google Maps’ air quality data to identify hyperlocal sources, found Chandpur village in northwest Delhi as the most polluted area at 391 micrograms per cubic metre, followed by President’s Estate in central Delhi at 385 micrograms per cubic metre.
The analysis utilised two distinct data sources: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Google Maps Air Quality. “CPCB relies on a fixed network of reference-grade monitoring instruments for real-time ground-level data, while Google Maps AQ combines multiple layers, including govt networks, commercial sensors, traffic data, satellite imagery, meteorology and dispersion models,” stated the report.
The report added that data from the CPCB monitor and Google Maps AQ from Bawana showed the common location with a high level of PM2.5. “Hyperlocal air quality monitoring is a game-changer for urban India. It bridges the gaps left by traditional systems, offering real-time and street-level insights into pollution patterns,” said Ronak Sutaria, founder and CEO, Respirer Living Sciences.
Professor Sachchida Nand Tripathi, chair, steering committee, National Clean Air Programme and dean, Kotak School of Sustainability, IIT Kanpur, said, “Hyperlocal air quality monitoring bridges the gap between traditional broad-scale assessments and the localised realities of air pollution.”
