Bihar: Study to trace air pollution sources in Gaya, Muzaffarpur to begin soon

The Bihar government has decided to conduct a real-time apportionment study in Muzaffarpur and Gaya to identify sources of air pollution in these two cities of the state, an official said on Monday.

The decision was taken as Muzaffarpur, Gaya and the state capital Patna are among the 122 non-attainment cities in terms of air pollution trends.

“The study in Muzaffarpur and Gaya will be conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi and Patna). The Bihar State Pollution Control Board will soon sign memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in this regard, which are being finalised,” BSPCB Chairman Devendra Kumar Shukla told PTI.

The study will identify the “seasonal mass concentration level of PM2.5 and PM10 in ambient air” of the extended urban areas of both cities, he said.

PM 2.5 and PM 10 are minute particles present in the air, and exposure to these is harmful to health.

Real-time source apportionment studies help identify factors, such as vehicles, dust, biomass burning, and emissions from industries, responsible for an increase in air pollution in an area. Accordingly, preventive measures can be taken.

Such a study is already going on in Patna.

The Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is already conducting the study in the Bihar capital and it is expected to be completed by September 2024, Shukla said.