Indian Army installs Air Quality Monitor at Fort Williams

The Indian Army has commissioned a “Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System” (CAAQMS) at its Eastern Command headquarters in Fort William Military Station, Kolkata in West Bengal. The commission of air quality monitor is part of Army’s countrywide ‘Go Green’ initiative, which was started in April 2019.

Key Features of The CAAQMS

• It will monitor air pollution of city on real time basis and its readings will be considered a benchmark of quality. This recent installation will be sixth CAAQMS facility in Kolkata.
• Measures: The CAAQMS installed at William Military station will measure air pollution continuously throughout the year. It includes measuring pollutants like SO2, NO, NO2, NH3, CO, O3, VOC and particulate matters (PM 10 and PM 2.5). It will also display relative humidity, ambient temperature, solar radiation, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure and rain gauge.
• Usage: The data so collected can be remotely monitored on internet and can also be published into various desired formats for public awareness. The CAAQMS data can also be used by West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) or any other local or international weather monitoring bodies.
• Significance: The installation of CAAQMS is special because it will act as the ‘control station’ (i.e. it will monitor air quality at an ideal situation) and its readings will be considered a benchmark of quality.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2019