MeitY Inaugurates Indigenous Air Quality Monitoring System and Launch of Air-Pravah App

New Delhi: On the occasion of World Environment Day, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), S Krishnan, inaugurated the Indigenous Air Quality Monitoring System (AQ-AIMS) and launched the Air-Pravah App. These innovations, developed under MeitY-supported technologies, mark significant advancements in India’s efforts to monitor and improve air quality.

Speaking at the inauguration, Secretary S Krishnan emphasized the importance of these developments, stating, “This is a very cost-effective, ‘Make in India’ solution, which is available in three variants depending upon the needs of industries. The system has been thoroughly tested and validated for various parameters of air quality.”

Additional Secretary of MeitY, Bhuvanesh Kumar, highlighted the Ministry’s role in fostering technological advancements. “MeitY is supporting R&D activities from proof of concept to product development to cater to the growing needs of the industries,” he said.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) acknowledged the potential impact of the AQ-AIMS system, noting that it will be instrumental in providing various environmental clearances.

The AQ-AIMS system, developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Kolkata, in collaboration with TeXMIN (ISM, Dhanbad), and industry partner J M Envirolab Pvt Ltd, under the ‘National Programme on Electronics and ICT Applications in Agriculture and Environment (AgriEnIcs)’, is designed to monitor a range of environmental pollutants. These include PM 1.0, PM 2.5, PM 10, SO2, NO2, O3, CO, CO2, temperature, and humidity, ensuring continuous air quality monitoring.

After successful field trials and certification from the National Physical Laboratory, Delhi, and TUV India, Pune, the system is being commercialized by the Technology Transfer (ToT) partner, J M Envirolab Pvt Ltd. Efforts have been made to make the AQ-AIMS system available through the GeM portal. The innovative technology offers a cost-effective alternative to conventional gold-standard instruments, aligning with the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

The AQ-AIMS system is complemented by the mobile application “Air-Pravah,” which provides real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) monitoring. The app features quick setup, real-time data visualization, unit conversions, AQI comparison, multi-device support, data analysis tools, remote monitoring, and automatic updates. It is available on the Android Play Store and can be activated by registering with the unique device ID of the AQ-AIMS device.