Concern mounts over poor air quality in Kochi; Corpn. to set up monitoring stations

Fuel emissions, especially when vehicles remain idle during traffic congestion, and overloading increase air pollution.

Increasing vehicular emissions, unscientifically operated construction sites without adequate safeguards to check pollution, and changes in wind patterns and atmospheric conditions during the transition period from monsoon to winter could be contributing to the deteriorating air quality in Kochi city, experts feel.

Of late, there have been widespread concerns over the poor Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city, triggering debates on social media and beyond. This has prompted the Kochi Corporation to initiate steps to set up air quality monitoring stations at seven critical locations, while the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (PCB) is awaiting the State government’s nod for the repair, operation, and maintenance of its two dysfunctional Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) at Vyttila and Kaloor.

“Though scientific studies such as source apportionment need to be conducted to arrive at exact conclusions about the reasons behind the drop in air quality, vehicular emissions and open construction sites are probably major contributors. Fuel emissions, especially when vehicles remain idle during traffic congestion, and overloading increase air pollution. Open construction sites without scientific safeguards to prevent pollution are also major contributors. Unscientific waste management practices, such as setting fire to waste, also cause air pollution,” said a senior PCB official.

The PCB often issues directions to local bodies and agencies such as the National Highways Authority of India and builders’ associations to take necessary action to check air pollution, as it has no statutory authority to directly intervene and issue directions to those responsible for causing pollution.

“The change in wind patterns and low atmospheric temperatures during the transition from the monsoon to winter trap pollutants at the surface level, especially during the early morning hours. The severity of pollution varies from one location to another depending on the nature of the pollutants present. For instance, pollution levels will not be the same in Eloor, an industrial area emitting chemical particles, and Vyttila. The concentration of particulate matter continues to remain on the higher side,” said S. Abhilash, director of the Cusat Radar Centre.

The Kochi Corporation proposes to set up monitoring stations as part of the ₹10-lakh project to be implemented with the technical expertise of the SCMS School of Engineering and Technology. The Corporation office, Edappally, Vyttila, Thoppumpady, and Fort Kochi are among the locations tentatively identified for the proposed monitoring stations, though it will be finalised based on the approval of the Corporation council.

“We are confident of setting up the monitoring stations, complete with a dashboard that will give the public an overview of the air quality in the city, within a couple of months. While we have not received any specific complaints, the general panic among the public over the low AQI is what prompted the Corporation to step in. However, we had already included the project in our Budget,” said Mayor V.K. Minimol.

The moves come even as two of the PCB’s three real-time CAAQMS, located at Vyttila and Kaloor, have remained dysfunctional for over six months due to pending maintenance work. Only the station at Eloor remains operational. “The agency that used to maintain the two stations has ceased operations. When we floated a tender for the work, there was only one bidder, and hence the proposal has been forwarded to the State government for approval as is mandatory in the case of single bids. The only other alternative to maintenance is replacement, which would be a costly affair,” said a senior PCB official.

However, he insisted that the board continues to carry out manual monitoring of air quality at five different stations and submit daily reports to the Central Pollution Control Board as part of the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme. These reports also played a role in creating awareness about the AQI of Kochi city, the official said.