Tackling Increasing Air Pollution in Hyderabad
The snake that cannot shed its skin must die. – Friedrich Nietzsche
With air pollution levels in Delhi reaching over 350 PM 2.5, we have returned to where we were last year. This time, even Hyderabad has surpassed 200, and some reports suggest that Lahore has exceeded 500! What can Hyderabad do to avoid reaching the pollution levels of Delhi and Lahore? The city can implement a system that combines sensors and IoT for real-time monitoring and response.
How would this be done?
We will measure air quality (PM 2.5 and PM 10) at the local level using fixed- and drone-mounted sensors. We will place sensors in all of Hyderabad’s localities, including industrial areas, identified villages in peri-urban zones, and other regions. For instance, West Bengal has used similar sensors to map pollution across the state. At the same time, mobile sensors mounted on drones will verify data from ground-level sensors and monitor follow-up actions to reduce local pollution. These drone-mounted sensors will provide real-time pollution levels for any locality in Hyderabad.
In the future, we can expand the capabilities of both ground-level and drone-mounted sensors to monitor noise pollution, humidity, carbon emissions, temperature, smoke, sound, and other hazardous particulates in the atmosphere.
The data from each sensor will transmit to a central control center, where real-time analysis (using AI if possible) will generate actionable insights for on-the-ground teams. For example, we will prioritize localities with pollution levels exceeding 100. Action teams will visit these areas daily to identify pollution sources. If pollution levels remain high, we will close the polluting entities. Once pollution levels return to acceptable limits, we will allow those entities to resume operations after paying continuing environmental compensation. If an entity installs pollution control equipment, no compensation will be levied. This follows the well-known "polluter pays" principle.
This would take care of local as well as distant sources of pollution. For example, industrial pollution coming from an industrial park would show up as high levels in the specific park and its surroundings, with decreasing levels further away from the park. Similarly, pollution from agriculture would show up in the specific village/hamlet and taper off with distance.
Who would do this?
The Pollution Control Board (PCB) will establish and manage the complete digital system, process information, and provide daily feedback on the field units' actions. The Telangana PCB (like most PCBs, which are well-funded) has enough resources to fund the entire project and replenish its budget with revenue from ongoing environmental compensation.
The field units will include representatives from the urban, engineering, and sanitation departments. These teams will implement local abatement measures based on inputs from the PCB. The Municipal Commissioner will decide the specific measures. At the state level, a task force consisting of the secretaries of urban and environmental departments will monitor the system daily and communicate results to residents.
The key ingredient is to act in real-time, relying on digital technology - identify pollution in small geographies, continually share actionable information with field units, provide daily feedback to field units on their performance and change actionable inputs in case they are not working.
