New Pawan Platform Launched in Delhi to Monitor Air Pollution

New Delhi, October 30 (Daily Kiran) : Central Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav reviewed the technical framework and operational readiness of the newly developed Integrated Command and Control Center (I3C) in Delhi on Friday. This initiative is part of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) aimed at combating pollution.

The center is named ‘Pawan,’ which stands for the Air Quality Monitoring and Analysis Platform for the National Capital Region (NCR). Yadav emphasized that achieving clean air requires collaboration beyond a single agency or state. The I3C consolidates all critical data onto one screen, enabling quick identification of pollution sources, such as agricultural fires, polluting chimneys, and uncovered construction sites.

“This marks a significant shift from reactive measures to proactive pollution prediction,” Yadav stated. He stressed the need for immediate action by all relevant agencies in response to alerts without delays.

Yadav highlighted that the top priority in addressing regional air pollution is collecting accurate, localized data while ensuring complete transparency. The launch of Pawan-I3C represents a pivotal moment, eliminating delays in operations and resolving the issue of scattered data sources. The State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) will now access verified information from a single source, allowing for rapid accountability of polluters.

Developed as a ‘single-window digital nerve center,’ Pawan-I3C integrates over 30 APIs and data streams. It collects air quality, emissions, meteorological information, satellite data, and traffic-related data from various agencies. The platform also includes data from 111 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS), more than 2,300 industries, over 3,200 active construction sites, and traffic congestion hotspots in the Delhi-NCR region.

Yadav noted that the Pawan-I3C platform will facilitate immediate action against non-compliant industries, pollution sources, and traffic hotspots. He announced a ban on construction and demolition activities in the NCR from November 5 to 20 to help control pollution. The Pawan-I3C operates on the principles of detection, analysis, and action, bringing together data from multiple agencies onto a shared platform.

The goal is to provide real-time and historical analysis of pollution levels, identify sources of pollution, assess trends, and monitor compliance with established standards and action plans at the field level.