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Delhi Pollution: New Study Tracks Decade of Change
27 Oct
Summary
- A new study tracks Delhi's pollution changes over the past decade.
- It uses high-resolution mapping and ground verification for accuracy.
- Results will guide future air quality and pollution control planning.
A comprehensive study is currently underway to assess how Delhi's pollution profile has evolved over the past decade, aiming to understand the impact of cleaner fuels, advanced vehicle technologies, and stricter emission norms. This initiative follows an initial detailed source apportionment study conducted in 2016 by IIT-Kanpur.
The new assessment employs a high-resolution emission inventory and source apportionment methodology, utilizing a 500m x 500m grid for Delhi and 27 NCR districts, with 2026 as the base year. This approach will provide updated emissions estimates and future scenarios for 2030, 2035, and 2040.
Led by a consortium including ARAI Pune, IIT-Delhi, TERI, and IITM Pune, the study is funded by CPCB and will analyze emissions of various pollutants like PM10, PM2.5, and nitrogen oxides. The framework extends to the wider north Indian domain to examine regional transport of pollutants.
To enhance accuracy, the study incorporates AI-based mapping with satellite imagery and field verification by deployed teams. It aims to distinguish emission hotspots and areas with different source profiles, paving the way for more effective, science-based long-term pollution control planning in Delhi-NCR.
Complementing this research, a network of real-time source apportionment super-sites is proposed across NCR, with some already inaugurated or set for revival, further bolstering air quality monitoring and analysis capabilities.
