BENGALURU: The Air Quality Index (AQI) data of June released by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has aroused suspicion among the scientific community.
Out of 13 monitoring stations installed across the city, the one at Urban Eco Park, KSPCB Office Premises, Peenya is the only station to have recorded the PM 10 at 109 and the board has calculated the AQI as 105.
The AQI is kept in a moderate range which according to the board will cause minor breathing discomfort to the people with lung disease like asthma and heart disease.
Mahesh Kashyap, a consultant with Centre for Sustainable Development, has opined that the data should be corrected.
“The AQI calculator indicates the input value should be 24 hours average whereas in the table it is the monthly average. They don't match. They need to use 24-hr average to calculate AQI. They should not have used monthly average,” he said.
“Are we to believe that there is no issue with the PM 2.5 concentration? The way it is shown in the table it can only be inferred that there is no issue with PM 2.5 in the city,” he pointed out.
The monitoring station at rail wheel factory, Yelahanka, Central Silk Board and urban eco space, KSPCB premises had recorded a sharp rise in PM 10 at 123, 109 and 121 for the month of May.
Kashyap added that keeping the rise of air pollution in mind the board should install one monitoring station for each ward.
