In a bid to combat the rising air pollution issues of India, tech giant Google on Wednesday launched Air View+ -- an artificial intelligence-based solution that can help the government and the people with useful hyperlocal air quality information.
Air View+ is powered by Google AI and works in collaboration with local climate tech firms. This can enable real-time hyperlocal air quality information, which includes local sustainability startups, researchers/climate action groups, corporations, city administrators, and citizens.
The ecosystem can provide "valuable air quality insights to government agencies responsible for environmental monitoring and urban planning," said Google in a blog post.
It will also provide "real-time hyperlocal air quality information in Google Maps for users across India," it added.
Air View+ empowers local municipal corporations with hyperlocal air quality data for their cities. This can be used to develop their in-house AQ dashboards via the researchers and sustainability partners.
"These dashboards provide air quality data for unmonitored areas and help urban planners identify hotspots and make necessary interventions," Google said.
The capabilities of Air View+ were tested in a pilot run last year. The partnerships with municipal corporations including Navi Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, and Greater Chennai have yielded hugely encouraging results, Google said.
Further, Air View+ also helps common people access hyperlocal air quality information across the country in Google Maps.
"With a multi-layered AI fusion approach that combines data from various input sources, including the sensor network, government data, satellite imagery, weather and wind patterns, traffic conditions, land cover, and more, we generate dynamic hyperlocal Air Quality Index (AQI) at a granular level. We have customised the model for India to reflect the methodology, categorisation, and guidance as defined in the National Air Quality Index (NAQI)," the tech giant said.
The information garnered may help vulnerable populations such as young children or the elderly to take appropriate preventative measures and precautions for their health such as using N95 masks or reducing outdoor exposure.
People can readily access AQI in Google Maps by selecting the Air Quality layer from the Layer button on the home screen and tapping on any location on the map. Clicking the Weather widget on the Explore tab on the home screen can help them access AQI info at their current location.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
A small city on the Meghalaya-Assam border, nearly 2,000 kilometres away from Delhi, is the most polluted in the world, according to a report published by a global pollution watchdog.
Here we share a list of yoga asanas you can perform when you don't feel like working out.
If you're looking to escape the pollution and experience some of the cleanest air on the planet, here are five countries where you can breathe a little easier.
Tens of millions of Pakistanis spent at least four months breathing toxic air pollution 20 times above safe levels, in the worst winter smog season for several years, according to data analysed by AFP.
Thirteen of the world's top 20 most polluted cities are in India, with Byrnihat in Assam topping the list, according to a new report published on Tuesday.
................................ Advertisement ................................
Opinion | Why Indians Have Just Given Up On Air Pollution CrisisTanushree Ganguly
Friday December 20, 2024While some may argue that people in Delhi are now more aware of air pollution than they were a decade back, my rebuttal would be that awareness does not mean that people are concerned.
Opinion | You Must Outrage Over Filthy Air More Than Once A YearJyoti Pande Lavakare
Tuesday December 10, 2024Delhi welcomed us with monsoon rains and mangos. We were home. Fast forward a couple of years, in the winter of 2012, I found myself in denial about something other parents, mostly expats, were calling toxic air.
Opinion | Delhi's Air Pollution Situation Is Like A Bad MarriageNishtha Gautam
Friday November 22, 2024On a good day, such as today, the AQI reading in Delhi is 407. We are jubilant at the sickly sunshine trickling through the slightly dissipated smog. At least its not 1600.
दिवाली... पराली... सियासी जुगाली!Ashwini kumar
Monday November 18, 2024दिल्ली-एनसीआर में प्रदूषण का समाधान तो आज तक मिला नहीं. हर साल चिंतित होकर हम-आप सांसों की तकलीफ के साथ-साथ दिल और ब्लड प्रेशर के मरीज भी क्यों बनें?
घर में कैद बुजुर्ग और हांफते लोग, दिल्ली की सांसों में घुला ये कैसा रोग?Nidhi Kulpati
Friday November 08, 2024हमारी हवा जहरीली हो रही है. गुरुवार की शाम को जब मैं इस मुद्दे पर लिखने बैठी तो AQI लगातार 400 पार जाकर दम घोंट रहा था. बहुत लोगों को यह मामला बोरिंग लगे, लेकिन जब आप अपने साथ काम करने वालों को खांसते-हांफते देखते-सुनते हैं, तो चिंता होने लगती है. सुबह उठते ही दरवाजे खिड़कियां खोलने के लिए डॉक्टर मना कर रहे हैं. बड़े बुजुर्गों के लिए तो मॉर्निंग वॉक बाहर की दुनिया से सीधे संपर्क का ज़रिया है, लेकिन डॉक्टर इसकी भी मनाही कर रहे हैं.