Caroline Hasl, an environmentalist, currently working to monitor air quality in India with the AQI India project traveled across Hong Kong (China) and Delhi (India) to bring this comparative analysis of air quality monitoring and air pollution mitigation in both the countries. What can we learn? Let’s find out!
Air quality index (AQI) is used by government agencies to communicate to the public how polluted the air currently is or how polluted it is forecast to become. Caroline explains the need to check AQI every day so that you know what you are stepping out into, what kind of air are you going to breathe and what precautions you need to take.
Six years ago when anyone talked about pollution, the top 100 cities with the poorest air quality were in China, now they are in India. The government in China has taken a lot of steps to mitigate air pollution. Today, if any time pollution rises in China, the government takes immediate measures. They can predict the pollution coming a day before and issue advisory accordingly.
Caroline suggests the first and foremost thing is to ensure your own safety. That means wearing a mask when you are going out, and making sure that the mask is completely sealed around the face and has proper filtration. When you are indoors, use an air purifier but also have an air quality monitor to check what the air quality is like in the first place.
Do you check the AQI in your city every day? Do you have your own #PollutionStories to put forward? Share them here.
