Delhi government ropes in IBM to help Delhi tackle air pollution

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has roped in technology major IBM to study and collect data on the effect of vehicular traffic on the quality of air in a bid to tackle rising air pollution levels in the national capital.

IBM will join hands with Delhi Dialogue Commission ( DDC), a think tank of the state government, for a three month pilot programme that will provide the government with relevant insights and recommend suitable policies to improve air quality of the city where air pollution levels have shot up to ‘severe’ warning category.

“Vehicular traffic and dust are two main sources of pollution in the national capital. The study will help policy makers come up with ways to deal with it,” said Ramesh Gopinath, vice president and chief technology officer of IBM Research, India.

IBM will put sensors in several locations across the city to collect data. It will also use satellite monitoring technologies to identify other sources of pollution apart from vehicular traffic and dust.

Gopinath said IBM’s partnership with DDC will “provide greater insight about the complex and dynamic nature of air pollution in the city and help identify sustainable methods for improving the outlook in the short and long term”.

DDC vice chairman Ashish Khetan said that to optimise the government’s action plan to tackle air pollution, it needs “accurate, real-time insight about the situation on the ground and a better understanding of how to respond in the most effective and sustainable way”.