BENGALURU: The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) is setting up the Continuous Air Quality Monitoring Systems (CAQMS) to address the issue of rising pollution levels and keep a constant check in mining areas. This is being done on the directions of the Supreme Court monitoring committee. The KSPCB is setting up the CAQMS in coordination with Karnataka Mining Environment Restoration Corporation (KMERC) in 12 locations in the four mining districts of Ballari, Vijayanagara, Chitradurga and Tumakuru.
“With CAQMS, there will be continuous monitoring of air quality. Directions have been issued to mining companies to instal air quality monitoring systems in their own premises at their own cost, and submit a report every six months,” a senior KSPCB official said.
Tenders have been invited for installation of CAQMS, the locations have been identified and platforms are being constructed. The officials have set a deadline to ensure they are all operational before December-end. The official said there is no dearth of funds to execute the work.
KSPCB said that apart from Ballari, special attention is being paid to Chitradurga and Tumakuru where developmental work has intensified not just around mining areas but in other sectors also.
Officials said monitoring air quality is particularly required in the background of the Centre agreeing to increase mining from 25 million tonnes per annum to 50 million tonnes per annum.
To ensure there is no further exploitation, the committee is keeping a close watch on the activities, and KMERC is also keeping vigil.
All work to be undertaken in mining regions in the four districts needs KMERC approval, with a set of protocols to be followed. The KMERC team keeps direct vigil on the progress. Further, for integrated development of the region, air quality monitoring is one of the essential components, apart from ensuring good infrastructure, including roads, health sanitation and lake restoration, the official added.
Pertaining to restoration of the region to near normal, forest officials said they can be restored only when the regions are left untouched. “But that is not happening as more and more areas are being opened up for mining, testing and extraction,” the forest official said.