Alternative methods to monitor air pollution: a study of crop residue burning in Punjab
This issue brief uses freely available data from satellite-based monitoring, in addition to information from 48 low-cost sensors deployed in four districts in Punjab, to examine seasonal crop residue burning. Given the lack of any significant ground monitoring of air pollution in rural Punjab (only four rural monitoring stations exist in the state, with no real-time data available), this study also seeks to highlight the use of alternatives like satellite data and low-cost sensors as an effective way to monitor air pollution in vast regions with little funds. Further, it emphasises how well-established networks of air quality monitors are required to understand the quality of the ambient air in rural areas and make informed policy decisions.
