Aurangabad: Smart city air quality monitors record distressing data

AURANGABAD: The air quality monitoring machines (environmental sensors) installed under the smart city project at two locations in the city have consistently shown poor air quality.
Under the smart city project, the Aurangabad Smart City Development Corporation Ltd (ASCDCL) is establishing two command control centres. These centres would enable the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) and city police to monitor traffic movement, surveillance and delivery of civic services.
Environmental sensors being installed in city
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The environmental sensors are part of various services to be integrated to these command control centres.The data from these sensors is displayed in real time on dashboards at these centres.
Currently, the ASCDCL has installed the environmental sensors at Kranti Chowk and Mahanubhav Ashram and the real time air quality data is being accessed remotely through software integrated to these sensors.
The software, based on various indicators, computes the air quality index (AQI). It also shows when the data breaches the national standards. Data for every two minutes since January 1 is accessible for both sensors.
Based on the Central Pollution Control Board standards, the air quality index has been computed to poor quality (201 and 300) and very poor (301-400) at the two locations.
Mahanubhav Ashram which is on Paithan Road sees heavy traffic in the evening and the AQI figure reaches around 500 which is termed as severe (401-500). At Kranti Chowk, the AQI turns poor during office hours.
As part of the Smart city project, the real time air quality data will be soon put up on display at busy squares of the city to raise awareness about air quality.
Aurangabad which is also a part of the National Clean Air Programme, is supposed to install digital boards to inform citizens about the air quality. Last year in November, Rs 12 lakh were released to the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for implementation of the programme.