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Ahmedabad's Air Quality Gets Hyper-Local Watch
30 Sep
Summary
- 10 sites chosen for real-time air monitoring.
- SMART-VAYU aims to pinpoint pollution sources.
- Sensors will track pollutants, temperature, and humidity.
Ahmedabad is set to revolutionize air quality monitoring with the SMART-VAYU initiative, a collaboration between the Gujarat government, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), and IIT-Kanpur. Ten key locations across the city have been selected for a new, hyper-local air quality monitoring network.
This advanced system, known as Sensing and Monitoring for Air-quality using Real-time Technology -- Vision-based Ahmedabad air AnalYsis for Urban Management (SMART-VAYU), goes beyond existing city-wide data. It aims to pinpoint specific pollution sources, map their movement, and identify areas needing immediate attention.
The selected sites include prominent locations such as the Sabarmati Riverfront Sports Complex and the Narendra Modi Stadium. Five sites will feature mobile laboratory van sampling alongside sensor deployment, while the remaining five will host fixed sensors. This selection considered meteorological data, wind patterns, and practical factors like power and accessibility.
The project's timeline indicates three monitoring cycles, with the first commencing in May 2026 and concluding in October 2026. Continuous sensor deployment is scheduled for October 2026. Pilot monitoring has already yielded results, with PM2.5 levels recorded at 40.4 micrograms per cubic metre at the riverfront and 33.1 micrograms per cubic metre at the stadium.
SMART-VAYU will eventually deploy around 400 low-cost sensors, creating one of the densest monitoring networks nationally. These sensors will continuously track major pollutants like PM2.5 and PM10, alongside temperature and humidity. The system will utilize IIT-Kanpur's Real-Time Source Apportionment Laboratory to identify pollution origins, whether from vehicles, industries, or dust.
Data from sensors, satellites, and weather observations will feed an AI-enabled Decision Support System integrated with Ahmedabad's command and control center. This platform will generate real-time alerts, pollution forecasts, and intervention recommendations for civic agencies.
