Uzbekistan plans to create online air pollution map

Uzbekistan plans to create an online map of pollution, which will assess the state of atmospheric air, water and land resources, the press service of the State Ecology Committee (SEC) reported.

Until recently, the SEC, Uzhydromet, the State Geology Committee, the Ministries of Water Resources and Health conducted monitoring in various areas. Now the State Committee on Forestry has joined them. The enterprises themselves also present their information. 

“Information on the results from other departments is periodically received by the Committee late, which prevents timely monitoring of the situation and take the necessary measures. Also, monitoring is not carried out at all plants,” Tulegen Abdugaziyev, head of the SEC Department for Coordination and Monitoring of Environmental Pollution said. 

According to him, from January 1, 2021, it is mandatory to install automatic stations for analyzing samples of air pollution sources from newly introduced economic entities at high risk of environmental impact, as well as stationary observation points (posts) in the territory adjacent to them. 

The plans include the creation of a system of posts for automatic measurement of air pollution throughout the Republic. A modern information system for collecting data on monitoring results from the involved departments and business entities will also be introduced. 

It is planned to update the material-technical base of the profile service of the SEC. In general, this year the Committee will send 6 billion soums from off-budgetary sources to provide equipment for analytical laboratories in the regions (there are 15 in total).

With the advent of a constant automated data stream, it will be possible to move on to the next planned goal - the creation of an environmental map of the republic. It will help in real time to assess the state of atmospheric air, water and land resources, to respond quickly to possible problems. This information will be available not only to specialists, but also to all residents of the country.