Delhi approves real-time study of air pollution
New Delhi, July 3: The Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Department of Environment's proposal for a real-time study of air pollution in the national capital.
The project, to be completed within a period of 18 months from the date of award of the study, has been granted to the Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, the University of Washington in the US on nomination basis.
The "Real-Time Source Apportionment study for Air Pollution in Delhi" will cost around Rs 1.2 crore and the payments will be done from the Air Ambience Fund maintained by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).
A cloud-based platform will be established for the study where the data can be shared and viewed by approved groups during the course of the project.
"There has been no scientific study on the pollution in Delhi. Delhi faces pollution throughout the year due to various reasons. So a round-the-year study was important.
"The study will focus on all the pollutants in the air. After the study, the government will have a data for all the different reasons of air pollution which will help in policy making," Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia told media here after the Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The DPCC has been authorised to finalise detailed terms of reference for the study with mutual consultations with Washington University team, he said.
It will also finalise the payment conditions and required clearances if payments are to be made in foreign currency to Washington University.
A brief proposal was submitted by Pratim Biswas and Ramesh Raliya, Research Scientists at Washington University, on the behalf of the university.
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BJP slams move to make CM Siddaramaiah as RDPR varsity chancellor replacing Guv
Bengaluru (PTI): Opposition BJP on Friday condemned the government's move to make the chief minister the chancellor of the Karnataka State Rural Development and Panchayat Raj (RDPR) University replacing the governor, terming it as an attempt to pollute the higher education system.
State BJP president B Y Vijayendra said this attempt to cut down on the powers of the governor is a conspiracy to upset the constitutional system.
The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday approved a bill, according to which the chief minister will be appointed as the chancellor, replacing the governor at the RDPR University in Gadag.
The governor is the chancellor for all public universities in Karnataka.
Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot currently holds the post.
"With a good intention that politics should not mix in education and as per the intent of the constitution, the Governor who is also the constitutional head of the state is the chancellor of the universities. But the government led by Siddaramaiah (CM), which is engaged in a series of corruption, by abusing its existing powers, is trying to pollute the higher education system," Vijayendra posted on 'X'.
He said the government's move will allow "unnecessary political interference" in the field of rural development studies.
"The Congress government, which has been impatient towards the governor since the beginning, sees him as an enemy to cut down on the powers, and it is a conspiracy to upset the constitutional system. This move of the state government is highly condemnable," he added.
Earlier in September, the cabinet, at a meeting held in Kalaburagi, decided to divest the governor of the power to appoint the vice-chancellor of RDPR University.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil on Thursday defended the government's move and said, "It will make the university more active and quick decisions will be taken...this system is there in many states, including Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh."
