West Bengal Govt Launches Buses With Air Purifiers In Kolkata To Fight Pollution

The West Bengal government has launched buses with air purifiers in Kolkata to reduce pollution in the state capital, said the state’s pollution control board.

The Bus Roof Mounted Air Purification System (BRMAPS), named ‘Suddha Vayu,’ is the first of its kind in the country, as per a statement issued by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB).

A total of 20 such buses have been launched, reported Hindustan Times. It is part of a pilot project in collaboration with IIT Delhi scientists. Kalyan Rudra, chairman of WBPCB, said they needed to check the seasonal variations of pollution levels and how the devices perform.

The BRMAPS will also be fitted with sensors to measure the air quality of the ambient air - such as levels of particulate matter on a real-time basis as the vehicle moves along the road.

WBPCB stated that the air filter attached to the system would capture pollutants from the air as the bus moves on its route. It would suck up pollutants, releasing clean air into the atmosphere. The air purifiers are fitted with high-efficiency particulate-absorbing filters and activated carbon filters to decrease the level of polluting gases and suspended particles by around 90%.

Breathing Cleaner Air

The real-time data will be sent to the Integrated Command and Control Centre of the WBPCB for further evaluation. Pollution levels would be monitored daily for around 8-20 hours depending on the time for which the bus plies.

The buses have also been fitted with a Bus Inside Air Purification System (BIAPS) to clean up the air circulating inside the buses. According to the officials, commuters would be able to breathe at least 50% cleaner air.

The state environment department will also deploy drones at night to measure and combat industrial pollution. They will be fitted with sensors to measure the real-time air quality of an area.The pollution control board receives complaints that many industrial units in some cities turn off their pollution tracking devices at night to evade WBPCB’s surveillance.

The official said it is difficult to enter the factories during odd hours to check pollution levels and how they violate the norms. “The drones, fitted with air quality sensors and cameras, will take care of that,” the official stated, adding that the sensors would initially measure levels of particulate matter.

Later, they may be equipped with sensors to collect data on other gaseous pollutants, such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.

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