6. Forests, Wildlife and Environment - Tamil Nadu Government

Air quality monitoringTamil Nadu Pollution Control Board is operating eight ambient air qualitymonitoring stations in Chennai under two monitoring programmes.lNational Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP)2 Chennai Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (CAAQM) ProgrammeUnder NAMP, three ambient air quality-monitoring stations arefunctioning on 24 hours basis, twice a week. Under CAAQM Programme,TNPCB is operating five monitoring stations on 24 hours basis twice a week.Ambient air quality monitoring is also being carried out on a regular basis inThoothukudi, Coimbatore, Salem, Madurai and Trichy towns.The scope of air quality monitoring has to be expanded so as to cover theunconventional air quality parameters like Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs),Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) and other Persistent Organic Pollutants(POPs). Such monitoring is required in industrial clusters with Petrochemicaland Chemical industries. The present capacity with Pollution Control Boardis not commensurate with the requirements. Therefore the services ofaccredited private laboratories and laboratories in academic institutions willbe availed for testing air samples in critical areas through the method ofoutsourcing. Simultaneously efforts will be taken to upgrade the Board’slaboratories. It is proposed to extend the scheme for critically polluted areasincluding certain industrial clusters by providing continuous ambient airquality stations at an outlay of Rs.2.00 crore.Environmental trainingOne of the functions of the State Board as enumerated under theprovisions of Section 17 of the Water & Air Act is to collaborate with the CPCBin organising the training of persons engaged or to be engaged in theprogrammes relating to prevention, control or abatement of water and airpollution and to organise mass education programmes relating thereof. In theareas of Environmental Training and Environmental Management, variousinstitutions of excellence like Anna University, I.I.T., Chennai, Zonal Laboratoryof NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute), NationalProductivity Council etc., are being consulted. During the Plan period, action270