HP Udgam Startup Initiative’s Post

Yesterday, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, launched Project AMRIT’s air quality dashboard in Patna. The dashboard was highlighted in a presentation at the ‘Bihar Climate Action Conclave and Expo’, where CM Nitish Kumar, various government dignitaries and environmental organisations were present. As the video below explains, each of Bihar’s 534 blocks now has an air quality sensor, which provides real-time air quality data. This rural air quality monitoring network is a first for any Indian state! Data for PM2.5, temperature and humidity, recorded by these sensors, is uploaded to a server and made available to division, district and block administrators. It is graphically represented via line charts, bar graphs and box plots. This is, perhaps, climate action at its best! Small towns and remote villages will now fall within the ambit of this hyperlocal air quality monitoring network, and our fellow Indians in rural areas can be one step closer towards clean air policies! Project AMRIT is a collaboration between Respirer Living Sciences and Centre of Excellence - ATMAN, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. Government of Bihar Bihar State Pollution Control Board WRI India Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) ICLEI Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation UN Environment Programme Development Alternatives #dashboard #bihar #nitishkumar #iitkanpur #dataanalytics #airpollution #airquality #AQdata #hyperlocal #monitoring #mitigation #climatestrategy #climatetech  

Respirer Living Sciences is thrilled to share that its Project AMRIT dashboard, developed in collaboration with Prof. Sachchida Nand Tripathi's team at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, is being launched by Hon’ble Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna today. Project AMRIT has set up India’s first and largest rural air quality monitoring network across the states of Bihar and U.P. The launch will take place at the ‘Bihar Climate Action Conclave and Expo’, where the Bihar government and various stakeholders will release a strategy document outlining long-term plans for climate-resilient and low-carbon development pathways. We are excited to be a part of this climate action! Respirer Living Sciences is an industry partner for AMRIT, the flagship project of the Centre of Excellence - ATMAN, a world-class research institute at IIT Kanpur. The project has made possible the installation of 528 low-cost, sensor-based air quality monitors across rural and urban locations in Bihar – many of them made by Respirer. This hyperlocal monitoring network enables data collection for PM2.5 (fine particulate matter), temperature and humidity at the state, division, district and monitor levels - for both real-time and historical data. Additionally, data visualisations such as line graphs, bar graphs and box plots can be accessed for 24-hour and month-long intervals. (See the screenshots below). For instance, the AMRIT dashboard provides the PM2.5 levels for Khusrupur, a town of 15,531 (Census 2011) that's 31 kilometres east of Patna and had no monitors earlier. Between March 1 and 2, its sole monitor recorded a hazardous PM2.5 level of 658 µg/m3. (The national daily safe limit for PM2.5 is 60 µg/m3.) We hope that such valuable local data emerging from the project can inform future policies for cleaner air and climate action! Government of Bihar Bihar State Pollution Control Board WRI India Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) ICLEI Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation UN Environment Programme Development Alternatives #dashboard #bihar #nitishkumar #iitkanpur #dataanalytics #airpollution #airquality #AQdata #hyperlocal #monitoring #mitigation #climatestrategy #climatetech  

Bihar Climate Action Conclave is bringing together today, several of the key stakeholders from across the country to address some of the toughest climate and air quality crisis faced by one of the most challenging states of India. Ambient air quality Monitoring over Rural areas using Indigenous Technology (AMRIT) - implemented in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and Respirer Living Sciences is being launched by the Hon'ble CM of Bihar Shri Nitish Kumar. Every rural block of Bihar, with a total of 528 blocks across the state, are now monitored with real-time air quality data. This is unprecedented for India - as the total number of PM2.5 monitored locations across India, prior to this project, was around 500. Bihar, with all its challenges, is showing the way on how to come together for Climate Resilience. Madhav Pai Shubhashis Dey Pratima Singh, Ph.D WRI India Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy #BiharClimateActionConclave #AirQuality

🔎 Looking forward 🏞️ Nature-based solutions (NbS) have the potential to be pivotal in tackling critical environmental challenges in the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam. 🌊 The Brahmaputra River is prone to devastating floods and erosion (post-1950 seismic event). NbS can be implemented in restoring floodplains, reforesting riverbanks, and constructing bio-dykes,to absorb and dissipate floodwaters effectively. These methods are not only more sustainable than traditional grey-engineering solutions but will also enhance biodiversity and ecosystem health. 🛶 Wetlands are kidney of the ecosystem. In Assam, wetlands are crucial for biodiversity, water purification and flood control. By conserving & restoring the wetlands,the capacity to regulate water flows and aquatic habitats improved. Initiatives such as creating buffer zones and planting native plant and grass species can help maintain wetland integrity and resilience against climate change impacts. 🪙 Implementing NbS fosters local economic growth by creating livelihood opportunities through agroforestry and sustainable tourism. These practices also enhance agricultural productivity and fisheries, directly benefiting local communities. Empowering local stakeholders and integrating traditional knowledge with modern practices ensures sustainable and inclusive development. 💡 Assam and Brahmaputra valley's future is very much dependent on integrating nature-based solutions in environmental management strategies in terms of flood and river erosion risk reduction, wetland revival and building climate resilient communities. #naturebasedsolutions #rivervalley #Brahmaputra #flood #erosion #riskreduction #agroforestry #climateresilience #greeneconomy #ripariancommunities

"On May 5, 2024, Greater Noida and Patna emerged as frontrunners for the title of India's most polluted cities, with concerning AQI readings of 346 and 316, respectively. The AQI assessment encompasses various pollutants, including PM 2.5 and PM 10. According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Greater Noida's AQI of 346 underscores the severity of the pollution crisis, while Patna's 'very poor' AQI highlights the critical need for immediate action. This stark reality underscores the urgent need to address air quality issues promptly. Additionally, other cities in Bihar, such as Siwan (282), Muzaffarpur (233), Hajipur (232), and Bettiah (221), also reported 'poor' AQI levels, amplifying the gravity of the situation. In navigating these challenging times, it's crucial to proactively pursue measures for cleaner air. Greenverse remains steadfast in its commitment to delivering innovative products and solutions that not only combat pollution but also foster a sustainable future for generations to come. Let's unite in our efforts to breathe cleaner, safer air." #airpollution #airquality #indoorairquality #indoorair #airqualityindex #geenverse #airpurifier #airqualitymonitor

🇮🇳 #India #AirQuality daily bulletin: Sunday 3/12/2023 ⚡ Spotlight on top #polluted cities in India 👇 ⚠ On 3 December 2023, #Begusarai was the most polluted city in India, with PM2.5 levels at 405 µg/m3. ⚠️ WHO PM2.5 limit is 15 µg/m3. 🔴 #Begusarai was the most polluted city in India on 3/12/2023 with PM2.5 concentration at 405 µg/m3. 🔴 Other cities following #Begusarai in the top 10 most polluted cities list were #Dholpur, #Byrnihat, #Katihar, #Purnia, #Muzaffarnagar, #Surat, #Tonk, #Dausa, and #Saharsa, all recording three to four times PM2.5 concentrations compared to the #NAAQS standard and 12-27 times the #WHO guideline levels. 🔴 India’s NAAQS stipulates the daily standard at 60 µg/m3, and WHO guideline levels are at 15 µg/m3. 🔴 Four of India's top 10 polluted cities were in #Bihar, three in #Rajasthan , one each in #Assam, #Gujarat and #UttarPradesh. 🔴 122 cities recorded PM2.5 levels above the daily NAAQS prescribed by #CPCB and 26 cities had PM2.5 levels 2 times the NAAQS. 🔴 Eleven out of 29 cities with PM2.5 data on 3/12/2023 in #Maharahstra were more polluted than the NAAQS by the CPCB, and 12 cities recorded poorer air quality than Mumbai; all cities recorded PM2.5 values above WHO daily guidelines. #CREAIndiaAQDailyBulletin data and visualisation by Manoj Kumar N at the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). #AirPollution #AirQuality #CentralPollutionControlBoard #CleanAir #CleanEnergy #CPCB #CREAIndiaAQDailyBulletin #India #NAAQS #WorldHealthOrganization #WHO

A few cities from Bihar like Begusarai and Araria remain on top of the list of polluted cities for the last few weeks. Interesting to note that the media as well as experts are only interested in cities like New Delhi, Mumbai etc. Isnt it again a case of two Indias?

❔Which non-attainment cities (NACs) had the highest PM 2.5 in 2023❔ How did they fare since the National Clean Air Programme began in 2019❔ In 2023, 18 of the 20 NACS with the highest PM 2.5 levels were in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP); the ones outside were Guwahati and Rourkela. The fact that so many of these cities are in the IGP underscores the region's vulnerability to heightened particulate matter concentrations. Delhi had the highest PM2.5 (102 µg/m³) last year, an increase of 2.5% compared to 2022. But its 2023 levels improved by 5.9% over those in 2019. Over the five years, the city’s PM 2.5 remained in the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB’s) ‘poor’ category (91-120 µg/m³). Other cities that saw improvements between 2019 and 2023 were Patna, Faridabad, Muzaffarpur, Noida, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Chandigarh and Gaya, among others. #ncap #airquality #airpollution #fiveyears #2019 #2023 #cities #dataanalysis Climate Trends NCAP Tracker Aarti Khosla Ronak Sutaria Santosh Harish

Speaking in the pivotol consultation organised by the Task Force, Sustainable Just Transition, Government of Jharkhand,its technical partner Centre for Environment and Energy Development (CEED), in collaboration with the Urban Development & Housing Department, Jharkhand, on 'Just Transition for Sustainable Urban Habitat.' Urban areas face growing challenges of increasing energy demands, air pollution, waste management and sustainable mobility. Ensuring just transition is the key for making these changes fair and inclusive, ensuring benefits to all communities while safeguarding the environment. We'll explore strategies for addressing urbanization challenges and making our cities more sustainable and future ready. #UrbanHabitat #SustainableCities #Jharkhand #JustTransition #SustainableDevelopment #FutureReady #UrbanDevelopment #ClimateAction

Can cities stay healthy with rapid growth and climate change? Surat learned tough lessons from past disease outbreaks, sparking a major shift in how the city plans and builds. By upgrading housing, sewers, and water systems, the city tackled the root causes and reduced the risk of malaria and dengue. Now, as climate change introduces new challenges, Surat is staying proactive and preparing for future health threats. They've established a Center to enhance climate resilience and protect communities against growing health risks. Surat has its finger on the #UrbanPulse, leveraging smart planning for a healthier future. #CitiesSolveCitiesDeliver Urban Health and Climate Resilience Center, Surat