West Bengal govt launches buses with air purifiers in Kolkata to beat pollution
West Bengal to control pollution levels by installing air purifiers inside local transportation systems.
The West Bengal govt has launched 20 buses in Kolkata built with air purifiers to bring down the pollution levels of the city.
The Bus Roof Mounted Air Purification System (BRMAPS), named ‘Suddha Vayu’, is the first of its kind in India, said a statement issued by the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB).
“We have launched 20 such buses. It is a part of a pilot project in collaboration with scientists from IIT Delhi. We need to check the seasonal variations of the pollution levels and how the devices perform,” said Kalyan Rudra, chairman, WBPCB.
As the vehicles move along the road, there will be sensors to measure the air quality inside – such as levels of particulate matter (inhalable particles measuring 7 – 30 times finer than the thickness of a human hair).
“The air filter attached to the system would capture pollutants from the air as the bus moves on its route. It would suck up the pollutants and release clean air into the atmosphere,” said the WBPCB statement.
The air purifiers will be fitted with high efficiency particulate absorbing filters and activate carbon filters to bring down levels of polluting gases and suspended particles by around 90%.
Everyday pollution levels will be monitored for around 8-10 hours. The buses will also fit a Bus Inside Air Purification System (BIAPS) to clean up the air circulating inside the buses. Commuters would be able to breathe at least 50% cleaner air, officials said.
