VIJAYAWADA: Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) will be installing automatic air quality monitoring sensors in 16 locations across the city. The civic body has expedited the project to improve the city’s air quality through 15th Finance Commission funds. Municipal commissioner V Prasanna Venkatesh told TNIE that the commission has sanctioned `62 crore for the city. In the first phase, works worth `31 crore will be taken up.
Installation of the monitoring sensors, battery charging-cum-swapping stations and water fountains, improving greenery, and canal bund beautification will be done in the first phase, he added. Disclosing the project details, the civic chief said a source study to identify suitable locations for the monitoring sensors will be conducted by a consultant team at an estimated Rs 26 lakh. The sensors will likely be set up at Benz Circle, Mahanadu Road, Police Control Room (PCR) Junction, Auto Nagar and NTR Circle among other places.
Once the sensors are installed, real time monitoring can be done to improve the air quality of the city.
Also, water fountains will come up at Gollapudi-Sitara Junction, near One Town flyover, Mahanadu Road Junction at an estimated cost of `1.2 crore, he said.Elaborating further, Venkatesh said the fountains will help increase moisture in the air that will improve the micro-climate of their surroundings.
‘End-to-end’ roads with paver blocks are also proposed on Kanakadurga Nagar-Mahanadu route, Patel Road near Yanamalakuduru and Dabakottla-Excel Plant Road, and at MG Road and CVR Flyover-Chitti Nagar Junction at an estimated `9 crore to reduce air pollution. “The civic body will execute the project with coordination from Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board,” he said.