Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Air Quality Monitoring and Forecasting Services (Air Quality Early Warning System)

The producers of this document have implemented an Air Quality Early Warning System to predict extreme air pollution events and give alerts to take necessary steps as per Graded Response Action Plan of the Government of India. The high-level objective of this system is to enable and provide air quality forecasting and information services in a globally harmonized and standardized way tailored to the needs of society and policy makers. The warning system consists of (1) near real-time observations of air quality and visibility and details about natural aerosols like dust, biomass fire information, satellite aerosol optical depth (AOD) and PBL height, (2) Predictions of air pollutants based on state-of-the-science atmospheric chemistry transport models, (3) Warning Messages, Alerts and Bulletins issued by IMD and (4) forecast of the contribution of non-local fire emissions to the air quality in Delhi and other cities. The warning system also provides an air quality forecast for several non-attainment cities. IMD has operationalized two air quality forecast models (1) System for Integrated modelLing of Atmospheric coMposition (SILAM) for India (2) ENvironmental information FUsion SERvice (ENFUSER) a very high resolution City Scale air quality model for Delhi. The operational modelling system provides both real-time and forecasted, high resolution information on the urban air quality.