A Small Step towards Big Change: IIT Guwahati signs MoU with PCBA to tackle Air Pollution

October 4, New Delhi: In a big step towards clean air and better environment, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Pollution Control Board Assam under the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). The MoU was signed to tackle increasing air pollution problems in cities like Guwahati, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sibsagar and Silchar in the State of Assam, where particle levels (PM10) have exceeded the annual average (60 microgram per cubic meter) ambient air quality standards.

Prof. Sharad Gokhale, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Guwahati and Dr. D. N. Das, Member Secretary of PCBA signed the Memorandum of Understanding along with other officials from IIT Guwahati and the PCBA. Aimed at reducing the PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations by 20-30% by the year 2024, the MoU has been signed to prepare city-specific interventions and action plans to curb the current situation.

On signing the MoU on behalf of IIT Guwahati, Prof. Sharad Gokhale shared his views saying ““The current levels of PM10 and PM2.5 in Guwahati and other cities of Assam are alarming and show increasing trends. Asthmatic condition among children is on the rise. In light of this, I welcome the move of MoEF&CC as NCAP will create more awareness among the public and help strengthen the capacity building activities to tackle particulate pollution in the selected cities of Assam. IITG is, therefore, committed to extending technical assistance to the PCBA in improving the air quality monitoring network and carrying out technical studies to develop a suitable city-wise air quality management plan, which we will convert into an implementable action plan for the selected cities of Assam.”

Under this latest initiative, IIT Guwahati will act as a technical partner to PCBA and will help in carrying out studies and analysis on identifying critical sources, investigating mitigations in the five identified cities and building state-of-the-art air quality monitoring networks and most importantly work towards their implementation with the help of PCBA.