UP approves setting up of new air quality monitoring stations around Taj Mahal to track pollution risk – Times of India

Report on Enhanced Air Quality Monitoring in the Taj Trapezium Zone and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Safeguarding Heritage and Public Health

The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) has approved a significant environmental project to install Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) in cities within the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ). This initiative is a direct response to the persistent threat of air pollution to the Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The project strongly aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by working to protect cultural heritage and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by monitoring pollutants harmful to human health.

Project Scope and Technical Objectives

The state-wide project involves the installation and five-year maintenance of 18 CAAQMS units at an estimated cost of Rs 36 crore. The primary objective is to generate real-time, actionable data to formulate targeted pollution control strategies, contributing to evidence-based policymaking in line with the principles of the SDG framework.

Key Monitored Pollutants

• Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5)
• Sulphur Dioxide (SO2)
• Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)
• Ozone (O3)
• Carbon Monoxide (CO)
• Ammonia (NH3)

Implementation and Inter-Agency Collaboration

The initiative demonstrates a commitment to SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) through the collaboration between state (UPPCB) and central (CPCB) agencies. Once operational, the new stations will transmit data directly to the CPCB.

1. Current Monitoring: Data is currently collected from four locations: Taj Mahal, Itmad-ud-Daulah, Rambagh, and Nunhai.
2. Expansion Sites: New stations are approved for installation in key areas, including:
   • Fatehpur Sikri (at the Gulistan Tourist Complex)
   • Mathura
   • Vrindavan
   • Firozabad
   • Hathras
3. Broader Impact: Additional stations are also approved for the National Capital Region (NCR) to address rising pollution levels on a wider scale.

Addressing SDG Targets through Pollution Control

The project is a critical measure for achieving specific SDG targets by addressing the severe environmental challenges in the region.

• SDG 11.4 (Protect Cultural and Natural Heritage): The core mission is to protect the Taj Mahal from discoloration and degradation caused by air pollutants. Data from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) between 2001 and 2024 revealed that Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) levels, responsible for the monument’s yellowing, have consistently been 200-400 micrograms per cubic metre, more than double the permissible limit of 100.
• SDG 3.9 (Reduce Deaths from Pollution): By monitoring hazardous pollutants like PM2.5, the initiative provides essential data for public health advisories and long-term policies aimed at reducing the incidence of illnesses and deaths from air pollution.
• SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): This new monitoring network builds upon the foundation of the 1996 Supreme Court ruling that established the 10,400 sq km TTZ. That ruling, which banned coal and coke in local industries and mandated a switch to natural gas, was an early and decisive action promoting sustainable industrial production patterns.

Analysis of the Article in Relation to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
   • The article discusses the monitoring of harmful air pollutants such as “PM10, PM2.5, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, carbon monoxide, and ammonia.” These pollutants are directly linked to respiratory and other diseases, making their control and monitoring a public health issue. The effort to manage air pollution contributes to ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for the population living in and around the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ).
2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
   • The article’s focus is on managing urban air pollution in cities like Agra, Mathura, Firozabad, and Hathras. The installation of “Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) in cities” is a direct measure to make these urban areas more sustainable. Furthermore, a central theme is the protection of the Taj Mahal, a world cultural heritage site, from the adverse impacts of pollution, which is a key aspect of this goal.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.
   • The initiative to install monitoring stations to track pollutants like PM2.5 and SPM is a foundational step toward reducing illnesses caused by air pollution. The article notes that SPM levels have “consistently exceeded permissible limits,” highlighting the health risk that the project aims to address by providing data for “targeted pollution control strategies.”
2. Target 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.
   • This target is central to the article. The entire project is motivated by the need to “safeguard the Taj Mahal from rising pollution.” The article mentions that pollutants are “depositing on the marble surface of the Taj Mahal,” causing it to appear “discoloured,” and references the Supreme Court’s 1996 declaration of the TTZ specifically “to protect the monument from pollution.”
3. Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality.
   • The project described is a direct implementation of this target. The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) is setting up new “air quality monitoring stations around Taj Mahal to track pollution risk” in several cities. The goal of transmitting “real-time data to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to aid in formulating targeted pollution control strategies” is a clear effort to manage and improve urban air quality.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator for Targets 3.9 and 11.6: Annual mean concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10, and SPM).
   • The article explicitly mentions the pollutants that the new stations will monitor, including “PM10, PM2.5.” It also provides historical data used as an indicator of the problem: “annual SPM concentrations between 200 and 400 micrograms per cubic metre, over twice the limit of 100 micrograms per cubic metre.” The data from the new CAAQMS will serve as a direct indicator to measure changes in air quality and progress towards reducing pollution.
2. Indicator for Target 11.4: Public expenditure on the preservation of cultural heritage.
   • The article provides a specific financial figure for the project, which can be used as an indicator of the government’s investment in protecting the Taj Mahal. It states the project involves the “installation, commissioning, and five-year maintenance of 18 CAAQMS units at an estimated cost of Rs 36 crore.” This financial commitment is a quantifiable measure of the effort being made to safeguard the monument.
3. Indicator for Target 11.4: State of conservation of the cultural heritage site.
   • The article implies a qualitative indicator through its description of the pollution’s impact. The “yellowing” of the monument and the fact that pollutants “have been depositing on the marble surface of the Taj Mahal” causing it to appear “discoloured” serve as physical indicators of the threat to the heritage site. A reduction in this discolouration over time would indicate successful progress.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com