Ambient Air Quality Monitoring of Ludhiana City as a Part of Source Apportionment Study

Abstract

Urbanization coupled with industries and related ancillary activities have resulted in growth of urban centers in India. Increasing population and consequent increase in the number of vehicles have further led to deterioration of air quality, leading to adverse impact on public health. Growing air pollution is of concern for many urban cities in India and other developing countries around the world. In India, particulate matter (PM) is a pollutant of concern as most of the cities are violating ambient air quality standards for particulate matter. Suspected adverse health effects of even low levels of air pollution have led to increased concern over how air pollution can be best controlled. The development of effective control strategies for PM pollution abatement requires the knowledge of the relative share of the various sources that contribute to the PM concentrations in a region. After analyzing the Environmental Status of Industrial Cluster of the country, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in consultation with the Ministry of Environment & Forests has identified 88 critically polluted industrial clusters, of which Ludhiana is one of such critically polluted cluster in the State of Punjab, besides Mandi Gobindgarh. The Ministry of Environment & Forests has felt to assess the environmental degradation of the identified industrial clusters and to formulate a remedial action plan for abatement of pollution and restoration of the environmental quality of these clusters. Punjab State Council for Science & Technology (PSCST) has taken up the Source Apportionment study of Ludhiana city jointly with The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI) as TERI had been already involved in a pioneering study to conduct source apportionment in the city of Bangalore and NTPC Unchahar region.