Ambient Air Quality is monitored at 28 locations including 4 rural area stations in Punjab under National Air Monitoring Programme (NAMP) for 24 hrs thrice a week. The monitoring of ambient air is carried out in the cities i.e Patiala, Bathinda, Dera Bassi, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Khanna, Mandi Gobindgarh Dera Baba Nanak, Batala and Naya Nangal. These stations have been set up for monitoring Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (PM10), Sulphide dioxide (SO2) and oxides of Nitrogen (NOx). Four stations have been set up in Rural Areas in village Rasulpur (Distt. Amritsar), Village Gangsar (Distt. Sangrur), Village Himmatpura (Distt. Faridkot) and Village Mukandpur (Distt. S.B.S Nagar) to monitor the impact of burning of agricultural residue on the ambient air quality there which are the first ever stations installed in the country. It has been appreciated by Central Pollution Control Board that Punjab is the first State to initiate such monitoring. The user data can be visualized at link About laboratory sub link Status of Ambient Air Quality of State.
The ambient air quality monitoring data of all these station is being sent to the Central Pollution Control Board through EDB/Excel format regularly by air laboratory. This monitoring is financed by Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi.
During the year 2013-2014 the Board monitored the Ambient Air Quality by collecting 41480 ambient air samples.
Besides, three no. Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations are going to be set up on 50:50 sharing basis with Central Pollution Control Board, New Delhi for which the CPCB has already released the funds and the process of procurement has already started these CAAQMS stations will be installed during the current financial year 2014-2015.
Head office Air Laboratory carries out stack sample monitoring of regional offices Fatehgarh sahib, Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda, Faridkot & Nodal Office, Mohali.
Eleven No. laboratories (10 private +1 Govt.) have been recognized by the Board and work concerning approval of laboratories is carried out by air lab. The laboratories approved by the Board can be perused at the link-Private laboratories approved by the Board.