Bihar: Study to trace air pollution sources in Gaya, Muzaffarpur to begin soon

Patna: The Bihar government has decided to conduct a real-time apportionment study in Muzaffarpur and Gaya to identify sources of air pollution in these two cities of the state, an official said on Monday.

The decision was taken as Muzaffarpur, Gaya and the state capital Patna are among the 122 non-attainment cities in terms of air pollution trends.

“The study in Muzaffarpur and Gaya will be conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi and Patna). The Bihar State Pollution Control Board will soon sign memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in this regard, which are being finalised," BSPCB Chairman Devendra Kumar Shukla told PTI.

The study will identify the "seasonal mass concentration level of PM2.5 and PM10 in ambient air" of the extended urban areas of both cities, he said.

PM 2.5 and PM 10 are minute particles present in the air, and exposure to these is harmful to health.

Real-time source apportionment studies help identify factors, such as vehicles, dust, biomass burning, and emissions from industries, responsible for an increase in air pollution in an area. Accordingly, preventive measures can be taken.

Such a study is already going on in Patna.

The Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is already conducting the study in the Bihar capital and it is expected to be completed by September 2024, Shukla said.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which proposed strategies to reduce air pollution. The NCAP identified 122 non-attainment cities that violate the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

The toxicological effects caused by air pollutant exposures on human life would also be evaluated through this study, the BSPCB chairman said.

"Apart from conducting emission inventory, carrying capacity and source apportionment of particulate matter, experts will also collect data on the contribution of river bed material (soil) and source of road dust," he said.

The BSPCB is coordinating with different departments to reduce air pollution levels in the state, Shukla said.

He said the rising level of air pollution in several cities of Bihar is a matter of serious concern.

"Covering of construction materials during transportation, mandatory green shields for building construction, development of green belts, promotion of e-vehicles and use of environment-friendly fuel, stringent checking of vehicle emission and use of smog guns are some of the steps that are being taken by the authorities concerned in the state," Shukla said.

The Indo-Gangetic plain faces massive aerosol loading, he said, adding that such a factor is also one of the reasons for air pollution in several cities.

Aerosol is defined as a suspension system of solid or liquid particles in a gas.