Chandigarh will have its first automated air quality monitoring station mapping the levels of presence of harmful Benzene and ground-level Ozone in the atmosphere. The Central Pollution Control Board has partnered with the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee (CPCC) for this project. The र1.1 crore project will also work as a meteorological/ weather station with data on temperature, wind speed, wind direction, humidity and solar radiation available in real time. The proposed air monitoring system will provide live updates on benzene, a toxic compound emitted by vehicles, exposure to which causes cancer, besides other diseases.
The ultra-sophisticated air monitoring station will also study the levels of poisonous and toxic gases including carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide.