14 air quality index doesn't give you correct picture quality index doesn't give you...

14th – 15th September, 2016 Page: 1

CSIR-NPL

Air quality index doesn't give you correct picture

Lack of calibration of pollution-measuring instruments has been hampering efforts of the country's pollution watchdog to come out with accurate data on air pollution. When Delhi experimented with car rationing (odd-even) schemes to tackle the problem of air pollution, people wondered why the different agencies showed different figures for emission level of pollutants in the capital.

It had intrigued even policy-makers. But scientists at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) of the CSIR knew that the answers to many such questions lay with pollution measuring instruments which were not calibrated to standardised form.

VishwaMohan|TNN|September15,2016

Source:>mesofindia.india>mes.com/india/Air-quality-index-doesnt-give-you-correct-picture/ar>cleshow/54338628.cms

There was, in fact, no standardisation of such pollution-measuring instruments in India and therefore there was no calibration as per the standard norms considering different functional parameters of such equipment. As a result, even the national air quality index, being released everyday by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), does not give an absolutely correct picture of the level of pollution in different cities. NPL has now asked the country's central pollution watchdog -CPCB -and the pollution control boards of all states to calibrate their instruments with the standard fixed by it. The NPL director, Dinesh K Aswal, told TOI that the laboratory has recently developed and patented its own PM2.5 sampler - a first of its kind in India to provide accurate and traceable measurement facility - and asked the pollution control boards to go for calibrations. "Once all the pollution measuring instruments are calibrated to the standard fixed by the NPL, we would be able to get an accurate picture of the level of pollution. We have first developed it for PM2.5. Samplers for other pollutants will also be developed and patented in due course", said Aswal on Wednesday. The NPL has called the meeting of the CPCB and the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) for sensitisation and training of their officials next month. Thereafter, all the pollution measuring instruments, used by these pollution watchdogs, will be calibrated as per the laboratory's standard which is recognised by the world body. Once the process is formalised, all pollution measuring instruments used by different private agencies will also be required to be calibrated as per the NPL's standard.


CSIR-NIO CSIR-IMMT CSIR-NML

Govt to extend pact with ISA on exploring manganese nodules

Cabinet has approved extension of contract between Ministry of Earth Sciences and ISA for exploration of Polymetallic Nodules Government has decided to extend the agreement with International Seabed Authority (ISA) by 5 years for exploration of manganese nodules that will also help in extracting minerals like, nickel, cobalt and copper. The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved extension of contract between Ministry of Earth Sciences and ISA for exploration of Polymetallic Nodules (manganese nodules) for five years (2017-22), an official statement said. The earlier contract is due to expire on March 24, 2017. "By extending the contract, India's exclusive rights for exploration of Polymetallic Nodules in the allotted area in the central Indian ocean basin will continue and would open up new opportunities for resources of commercial and strategic value in area beyond national jurisdiction," it said. Further, it would provide strategic importance for India in terms of enhanced presence in the Indian Ocean where other international players are also active, it added. These potato-shaped, largely porous nodules, also called manganese nodules, are found in abundance carpeting the sea floor of world oceans in deep sea.


PressTrustofIndia|NewDelhi|September12,2016

Source:www.business-standard.com/ar>cle/economy-policy/govt-to-extend-pact-with-isa-on-exploring-manganese-nodules-116091200432_1.html

Besides manganese and iron, they contain nickel, copper, cobalt, lead, molybdenum, cadmium, vanadium, titanium, of which nickel, cobalt and copper are considered to be of economic and strategic importance. India had signed a 15-year contract for exploration of Polymetallic Nodules (PMN) in Central Indian Ocean Basin with the ISA, an institution set up under the Convention on Law of the Sea to which India is a party, on March 25, 2002 with the approval of the Cabinet. At present, India has an area of 75,000 sq km, located about 2,000 km away from her southern tip for exploration of PMN. Ministry of Earth Sciences is carrying out the survey and exploration, environmental impact assessment, technology development (Mining and Extractive Metallurgy) under PMN through various national institutes. They include National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology (IMMT), National Metallurgical Laboratory (NML), National Centre for Antarctica and Ocean Research (NCAOR) and National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT).


CSIR-CRRI

Road Safety Audit to be taken up to evaluate rise in accidents on ORR

As ghastly road accidents are taking place on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) stretch leading to loss of lives of several persons over the past few months, the Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited (HGCL), a wing of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), has begun the process of conducting ‘Road Safety Audit’ for ORR to study various aspects such as why accidents are taking place. The task of preparing the audit has been given to Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). They will also render the needed technical services involving primary road safety audit. HMDA has given four months time for submission of the audit report for implementing safety recommendations. The road safety audit is taken up to study various aspects such as accidents taking place due to speeding of vehicles or if there is a fault with road or is there any difference in the geometry of the road. HMDA officials told Express that they were concerned over the rising road accidents taking place on the ORR stretch as valuable human lives are being lost and decided to to take up the audit. The overall objectives of the study is to conduct the road safety audit in both the directions of ORR, including all the inter changes and service roads of ORR covering a length of 158 km. The total cost off study to be incurred by HMDA is about `1.02 crore. Also to understand the traffic characteristics and road crash scenario through relevant traffic studies and critical analysis of the traffic flow data, road crash data and assessment of speed profile characteristics (traffic volume studies will be conducted at three selected locations and spot speed studies will be conducted at critical accident prone locations after the reconnaissance site visit), they added.


SBachanJeetSingh|September12,2016

Source:www.newindianexpress.com/ci>es/hyderabad/Road-Safety-Audit-to-be-taken-up-to-evaluate-rise-in-accidents-on-ORR/2016/09/12/ar>cle3619227.ece

After completing the studies, the CRRI will submit a detailed report to the HMDA that will suggest remedial measures on road safety to enhance the safety of all the road users. The total study will be spread over four months. Four weeks will be for reconnaissance survey (procurement and review of base line information data, project background data, secondary data on traffic and accident data and design drawings etc). Six weeks will be for site visits, field surveys for primary data collection and conducting the road safety audit, another four weeks for preparation and submission of draft final toad safety audit, report followed by presentation on Audit findings etc and two weeks for preparation and submission of final road safety audit report for implementation of safety recommendations, they added.


CSIR-NEERI


NavbharatTimes|NewDelhi|Page11|September13,2016

CSIR-CBRI


DainikJagran|Page7|September15,2016

14 air quality index doesn't give you correct picture quality index doesn't give you...

Documents