Clean Air Punjab to start awareness drives

Last year, the Clean Air Punjab (CAP), an organisation working to ensure better air quality, had installed a giant lung billboard at Novelty Chowk, one of the busiest routes in city, to check the quality of air with winter approaching. While it took only eight days for the billboard to go all black, thanks to the soot and poor air quality, this year Clean Air Punjab is looking to collaborate with the district administration for launching awareness and air monitoring campaigns to ensure that the air quality during the season doesn’t turn toxic.

As members of the District Environment Committee, the local unit of Clean Air Punjab has previously met with district administration officials to address the issue of monitoring air quality.

Recently, Additional Deputy Commissioner Jyoti Bala had laid stress on checking bursting of crackers and burning of paddy straw as a counter measure to air pollution.

In a related meeting, the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) sought cooperation from other departments in improving air quality during the season. The PPCB has already installed air monitoring systems in GNDU campus and Golden Temple complex.

The meeting also reviewed the expenditure of funds received under the National Clean Air Programme for the city of Amritsar. In the meeting, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development) along with the heads of the departments concerned issued guidelines for achieving the target of various works listed in the District Environment Plan in a time-bound manner.

Installing low-cost air monitoring systems and air purifying units in areas with most poor quality of air was also proposed.