20 October 2021
Introduction:
The Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) has developed a new ‘Decision Support System’ (DSS) as well as ‘Air Quality Early Warning System’ (AQEWS). These systems were launched by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh.
Highlights:
- DSS and AQEWS systems were launched for better air-quality management in Delhi-NCR region.
- IITM is an autonomous institute, working under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. It is based in Pune.
- Apart from the systems, IITM has also created a dedicated website in order to deliver quantitative information regarding the contribution of emissions from Delhi and adjoining districts to the air quality.
- Unique feature of the system comprises of providing information on contribution of biomass-burning activities in the adjoining states.
Air Quality Early Warning System (AQEWS)
The system has been developed by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune. This system uses data of stubble burning incidents from last 15 years for predicting date and place of next burning. This data is then correlated with wind speed for predicting air pollution level for next 72 hours. AQEWS can also forecast the level of pollutants such as particulate matter (PM) 2.5, PM10, and dust, which come from sources other than stubble burning. Early warning of pollution helps in providing data and time to the authorities for responding to it in a time bound manner.
Components of the system
The warning system comprises of:
- Real time observations of air quality and details about natural aerosols like dust & particulate matter using satellite data sets.
- Predictions of air pollutants coming from two different air quality prediction systems on the basis of state-of-the-art atmospheric chemistry transport models.
- Providing Warning Messages, Alerts & Bulletins.