With the increased industrial and commercial activities in the vicinity of major cities, the quality of the ambient air is being affected by emissions from the industries and from the ever-increasing vehicular population. As per the provision of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, the entire state of Tamil Nadu has been declared as an air pollution control area.
Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board is operating eight ambient air quality monitoring stations in Chennai, three in Thoothukudi, three in Coimbatore, one in Salem, three in Madurai, five in Trichy, three in Cuddalore, and two in Mettur under the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) funded by the Central Pollution Control Board.
All the stations are functioning on a 24-hour basis, twice a week. The samples collected from NAMP stations are analysed for the Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) (RSPM is particulate matter less than 10 microns) and gaseous pollutants such as Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2).
Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations
The stations are strategically placed in the mentioned areas to monitor and analyze air quality across the state. The monitoring helps in assessing the impact of industrial and vehicular emissions on ambient air quality.
