Impact of Air Pollution Air Pollution can damage the environment including vegetation, crops and forests.

Much work has been done to study the impact of air pollution on the environment including human health, livestock, corrosion of materials, building, monuments etc.. Some cases of impacts that have been suspected of being linked with air pollution are described in this chapter. Case - I We are all aware of intriguing national debate on the "Effect of Pollution on the Taj at Agra". The Taj Mahal, one of the finest garden tombs in the world, stands on the bank of the river amuna and it was built b! the Mughal Em"eror, #hah$ahan to enshrine the mortal remains of his Em"ress, Mumtaj Mahal. The construction of the tomb began in %&'% A.(. and it was com"leted in %&)' A(. *n the !ear, %+,'-,) when the .ovt. of *ndia decided to erect refiner! at Mathura, a""rehensions were made with regard to "ossible sadverse effects as a result of gaseous "ollution due to emission on Taj and other monument in and around Agra. Prior to %+,/, no "ro"er stud! was made to evaluate the im"act of the environment on Taj. 0eside this, between %+)/ and %+,/ and also later on Archaeological #urve! of *ndia had made some studies on the building material, used in Taj Mahal. This included 1

1. Study of Marble and sand stone and examination of weathered red sand stone on the lining of the interior of the dome !. "nvironmental parameters, temperature variation, moisture attack, rainfall pattern, impact of meteoric waters and humidity gradients

2actors of deterioration, thermal damage, salt cr!stallisation and Table ).% 3ational Ambient Air 4ualit! #tandards

Pollutant

Time Weighted Average

Standards Industrial Area Residential, Rural and other Areas Sensitive area

Unit

Sulphur dioxide (SO ! "itrogen dioxide ("O ! Suspended Particulate #atter (SP#! Respira$le Suspended Particulate #atter (RSP#! %ead (P$! &ar$on monoxide (&O!

Annual Average# !+ ,ours Average## Annual Average# !+ ,ours Average## Annual Average# !+ ,ours Average## Annual Average# !+ ,ours Average## Annual Average# !+ ,ours Average## $ ,ours Average## 1 ,our Average

$% 1!% $% 1!% *&% '%% 1!% 1'% 1 1.' ' 1%

&% $% &% $% 1+% !%% &% 1%% %.-' 1 ! +

1' *% 1' *% -% 1%% '% -' %.' %.-' 1 !

(g)m* (g)m* (g)m* (g)m* (g)m* (g)m* (g)m* (g)m* (g)m* (g)m* mg)m* mg)m*

5 Annual Arithmetic mean of minimum %6) measurements in a !ear twice a week /) hourl! at uniform interval 55 /) hourl!78 hourl! values should be met +89 of the time in a !ear. :owever, /9 of the time, it ma! e;ceed but not on two consecutive da!s Source : <entral Pollution <ontrol 0oard, (elhi Note : %. 3ational Ambient Air 4ualit! #tandard 1 The levels of air =ualit! necessar! with an ade=uate margin of safet!, to "rotect the "ublic health, vegetation and "ro"ert!. /. Whenever and whereever two consecutive values e;ceed the limit s"ecified above for the res"ective categor!, it would be considered ade=uate reason to institute regular7continous monitoring and further investigations '. The #tate government7#tate board shall notif! the sensitive and other areas in the res"ective states within a "eriod of si; months from he date of notification of

!. growth of moss lichen and Algae. .he /ovt. of 0ndia constituted an expert committee in 11-+ with the purpose to guide and take suitable remedial anti pollution measures. .his committee was headed by an eminent scientist, 2r. S. 3aradara4an. .he committee suggested various measures for improving the air 5uality in and around Agra. Another high powered committee was set up by /ovt. in 11-1 with Prof. M./.6. Menon as 7hairman and an expert group to assist the high power committee to oversee the implementation of the necessary air pollution control measures. A joint "arliamentar! committee, headed b! (r. >aran #ingh visited the Taj and Mathura ?efiner! @under constructionA on Bctober %, %+,8 to evaluate the effect of air "ollutants on Taj and it re"orted to the Parliament on Ma! %8, %+,+ and considered Mathura ?efiner!, a threat to the Taj. A committee under the chairmanshi" of (r. T.3. >hoshoo, the then #ecretar!, (e"artment of Environment, was constituted in

%+8/ to monitor the "ollution abatement measures. Man! other committees were constituted to suggest long term and short term measures to be ado"ted to control such "ollution which is harmful to the Taj Mahal. Bn the direction of the :onCble #u"reme <ourt of *ndia, dated A"ril, %++), an e;"ert committee under the chairmanshi" of (r. #. Daradarajan was constituted b! Ministr! of Environment E 2orests. #ome issues re=uiring attention of the committee include 8 Survey of the .a4 .rape9ium "nvironmental Area and to make a report regarding the sources of pollution in the .a4 .rape9ium. .o identify polluting industries in the .a4 .rape9ium and to suggest measures to control such pollution which is harmful to the .a4.
o

.he 0ndo8:S workshop on "nvironment Assessment, held from March - to 1%, 111+, recommended priority in /ovt. funding to address the water, transport, pollution and power problems of the Agra8Mathura ,eritage area as the pre8re5uisite to create an ade5uate environment for the ,eritage area)site. .his needs establishment of a comprehensive regional plan and an especial development strategy which may include satellite towns and growth 7orridors.