Govt to install five ambient air quality monitoring systems

These monitoring systems will help ascertain the level of pollution.

LAHORE: Five ambient air quality monitory systems which Environment Protection Department (EPD) received late last month are likely to be installed before the end of this fiscal year, The Express Tribune has learnt.

These five systems otherwise known as air pointers have been purchased from a German company Mlu-Recordum Environmental Monitoring Solutions with a total cost of Rs80 million. The department also arranged a four-day training session for its officers for installation and operations of these air pointers that began on Friday and will conclude today (Monday). The Punjab government currently has only one operational ambient air quality monitoring system which was purchased last year.



The only air quality monitoring system was mobile system that was either activated on a complaint or when it was hired by to render its services. With only one system, the entire province had no efficient mechanism for monitoring emissions and the quality of air and therefore failed to identify the real causes of pollution. To address this shortcoming, these five systems were purchased under Annual Development Program 2016-17.

The total cost of the project stands at around Rs88 million according to the Implementation and Monitoring Laboratories Director Dr Tauqueer Ahmad who is also the project director.

Dr Tauqueer said the ambient air quality monitory systems have six analysers that were dust monitor, oxide of nitrogen monitor, oxide of sulphur monitor, analyser on impact on Ozone layer, hydrogen sulphide monitor and it has its own complete wheather station.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 5^th, 2017.