New Delhi

As the Delhi got engulfed in hazardous air, tech giant Google on Wednesday launched Air View+, an ecosystem based solution to empower government authorities and people with useful hyperlocal air quality information, in collaboration with local climate tech firms.

Powered by Google AI, modelling a wide range of data inputs, Air View+ will enable valuable air quality insights to government agencies responsible for environmental monitoring and urban planning. Also, real-time hyperlocal air quality information in Google Maps for users across India, the company said in a blogpost.

“Air View+ empowers local municipal corporations with hyperlocal air quality data of their cities, which they are using to develop their in-house AQ dashboards via the researchers and sustainability partners (Aurassure and Respirer Living Sciences). These dashboards provide air quality data for unmonitored areas and help urban planners identify hotspots and make necessary interventions,” Yael Maguire Vice President and General Manager (VP & GM), Google Maps Platform & Google Earth, said.

Air View +

Air View+ adopts an ecosystem-based approach, bringing together local organisations working to enable real-time hyperlocal air quality information, including local sustainability start-ups, researchers/ climate action groups, corporations, city administrators, and citizens, he said.

Climate tech firms, Aurassure and Respirer Living Sciences were instrumental in setting up an air quality sensor network in cities that previously lacked the requisite infrastructure to monitor air quality, the company said adding that these sensors measure various air quality parameters, PM2.5, PM10, CO2, NO2, Ozone, and VOCs, along with temperature and humidity, taking measurements every minute.

“People in India can now 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,” Miriam Daniel, VP & GM, Google Maps, said in the blog.

She said Google has customised the model for India to reflect the methodology, categorisation and guidance as defined in the National Air Quality Index (NAQI).

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