Air quality monitoring vehicles finally set to hit Bengaluru streets

For over a month now, these vans with monitoring equipments fitted inside, have been idly stationed at the entrance of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board office on Church street.
The faces on these vehicles have been camouflaged using golden tinfoil paper
The faces on these vehicles have been camouflaged using golden tinfoil paper

BENGALURU: After the new government assumes office today, there is finally some chance that the first-of-its-kind mobile air quality monitoring vans will get commissioned and begin their rounds around the state shortly. For over a month now, these vans with monitoring equipments fitted inside, have been idly stationed at the entrance of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) office on Church street.

According to reliable sources, two reasons forced a delay in launch of the units by the KSPCB. The mobile stations, each worth nearly Rs 1.4 crore, reached the Board just after the model code of conduct for the May elections was announced. Secondly, the vans had photographs of former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and former Minister for Environment and Forests Ramananath Rai embossed on both sides.

Right now, the faces on these machines have been camouflaged using golden tinfoil paper and tape!

One of the vehicles is meant to monitor North Karnataka while the other is for South Karnataka, particularly Bengaluru, said a top official. "The vehicles will go around public places and provide live data on the pollution level at different spots," another official said. In case of complaints about private properties, they would also be monitored, he said.

"This is the first time we will be using these mobile vans. We have installed 29 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations at different points across the state in the last year. They are all permanent structures and monitor specific spots unlike these mobile ones," he added.

Asked about the existing photos of political leaders on the vans, another official said, "That can be handled once we know the new political team. We will prepare stickers of the new Chief Minister and Environment Minister and affix them after removing these."

On the status of the installed monitoring stations, the official said that some of them are yet to start functioning as they have not yet been provided power connection. "Only when that is done, can they all start recording the pollution levels in their areas, " he added.

Once commissioned, the stations will provide round-the-clock data on air quality, temperature, wind speed and meteorological related data.

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