Air Quality Management System Handed Over to Bajali HS School by Forest Department, Bajali District Administration & Mahabahu Climate Forum

Air Quality Management System Handed Over to Bajali HS School by Forest Department, Bajali District Administration & Mahabahu Climate Forum

KAKALI DAS

On March 10, 2026, a significant step toward climate awareness and environmental monitoring was taken, when an Air Quality Management System was formally handed over to Bajali Higher Secondary School in Pathsala. The initiative was carried out by the Bajali District Administration in collaboration with the Forest Department of the North Kamrup Division, Rangia, and in association with the Mahabahu Climate Forum. The event marked what many believe to be a historic development, as such facilities are rarely available in schools.

The story of this initiative began earlier, on December 27, 2025, when a Climate Change Awareness Programme was organized at Bajali Higher Secondary School in Pathsala. The programme was conducted under the initiative of the Bajali district administration with support from the Mahabahu Climate Forum (MCF). The event brought together government officials, environmental experts, educators, and students to discuss climate change and the importance of environmental responsibility.

The chief guest and key resource person at the event was Mahendra Kumar Yadav, Special Chief Secretary of the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of the Government of Assam and a retired Indian Forest Service officer. Other distinguished attendees included Bajali District Commissioner Mridul Kumar Das;Mahabahu Climate Forum PresidentAnjanSarma; Divisional Forest Officer of Rangia Division T. C. Ranjit; Director of Manas National ParkDr. C. Ramesh; Conservator of Forests Chani Choudhury; school inspector Bitupan Hazarika;Barpeta District Education Officer NiranjanOja; Assistant Commissioner of BajaliAshfaqLaskar; and the principal of Bajali Higher Secondary School Ranjan Chakraborty.

More than five hundred students and teachers participated in the programme. They came from several educational institutions including Bajali Higher Secondary School, Pathsala Senior Secondary School, Pathsala High School, KrishnakantaHandiqui Senior Secondary School, PathsalaSikshapith, and SikshaTirtha.

The December programme was not an isolated event but part of a larger climate education initiative led by the Bajali district administration under the leadership of District Commissioner Mridul Kumar Das. Earlier, from July 15 to July 20, 2025, a six day climate education training programme had been organized by the district administration in collaboration with the Mahabahu Climate Forum. The training was conducted at the District Commissioner’s office and at Chowkhuti Block.

Heads of government departments, students and faculty members from Bhattadev University, and representatives from various colleges and schools participated in the training programme as climate learners. The main resource person at the training programme was global climate leaderandconvener of the Mahabahu Climate Forum Rituraj Phukan. Other resource persons included MahabahuClimate Forum Founder and President AnjanSarma; noted environmentalist and scientist Dr.Anwaruddin Choudhury; Ankuran Pathak from the Assam Pollution Control Board; Bhattadev University Vice Chancellor Dr.DhanapatiDeka; senior officials from the Assam State Electricity Board, and environmentalist and Green Ambassador Ananda Khataniar.

After the successful completion of the training programme, the Bajali District Commissioner introduced an important initiative in the district. Climate change classes were made mandatory in all educational institutions of Bajali district on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month. District Commissioner Mridul Kumar Das himself began teaching these climate classes. Additional commissioners also visited schools to teach students. Ranjeet Kumar Dass, minister in the Assam government and MLA from the Bajali constituency, also participated in teaching students as part of this initiative.

It was during the Climate Change Awareness Programme held on December 27, 2025 that Special Chief Secretary Mahendra Kumar Yadav spent a long time interacting with students and shared his experiences related to climate change and environmental governance. He served as the “Teacher of the Day” and delivered an extensive lecture on climate change based on his long professional experience.

Impressed by the enthusiasm and curiosity shown by the students, and following a request from Mahabahu Climate Forum President AnjanSarma, Mahendra Kumar Yadav announced that an Air Quality Management System would be installed at Bajali Higher Secondary School. The announcement was also made in the context of the school approaching its one hundred year anniversary.

That announcement has now become a reality.

On March 10, 2026, the Air Quality Management System was officially handed over to Bajali Higher Secondary School. The system was presented by T. C. Ranjit, Divisional Forest Officer of the North Kamrup Forest Division. The initiative was implemented by the Bajalidistrict administration with support from the Mahabahu Climate Forum.

Many observers believe this facility is a pioneering step, since such scientific monitoring systems are rarely available at the school level. For the historic Bajali Higher Secondary School, which has completed nearly a century of academic service, the installation of the Air Quality Management System is expected to become a milestone.

Anjan Sarma, president of the Mahabahu Climate Forum and also a former student of the school, expressed special happiness at being able to contribute to such a meaningful initiative for his alma mater.

An Air Quality Management System is a scientific and organized framework through which governments, scientists, and environmental organizations monitor, analyse, regulate, and improve the quality of air in a specific region. Its main objective is to protect human health, the environment, and the climate.

In simple terms, the system helps measure how polluted the air is, identify where the pollution is coming from, and guide authorities on how it can be reduced.

The first step in such a system is monitoring air pollution. Specialized instruments installed in cities and industrial areas measure different pollutants present in the air. These include particulate matter such as PM2.5 and PM10, as well as gases like nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone. When the concentration of these pollutants increases, the air becomes polluted and harmful to human health.

The next stage involves data collection and analysis. Environmental agencies and scientists analyse the data collected from monitoring stations. Based on this information, an Air Quality Index or AQI is published. The AQI translates complex pollution data into simple categories such as good, moderate, poor, or hazardous, making it easier for the public to understand the quality of the air they breathe.

In India, this monitoring and reporting system is overseen by the Central Pollution Control Board.

Another important step in air quality management is identifying the sources of pollution. These sources often include vehicle emissions, industrial smoke, dust from construction activities, brick kilns, burning of waste, emissions from power plants, and agricultural residue burning.

Once the sources are identified, governments introduce policies and regulations to reduce pollution. These may include emission standards for vehicles, mandatory pollution control technologies for industries, regulations to control construction dust, and promotion of environmentally friendly transportation systems.

One of the major national initiatives in this field is the National Clean Air Programme launched by the Government of India in 2019 to reduce particulate pollution in major cities.

Modern air quality management systems also include forecasting systems. These systems can predict air pollution levels several days in advance. Such forecasts help governments issue early warnings and take preventive measures. In India, institutions such as the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology play an important role in developing air quality forecasting systems.

Public awareness is another crucial part of air quality management. Citizens are informed about air pollution levels, possible health risks, and the actions they can take to reduce pollution. Today many mobile applications and online platforms provide real time information about air quality.

Air pollution has serious impacts on human health. It is linked to diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and cardiovascular disease. According to the World Health Organization, millions of people around the world die prematurely every year because of air pollution.

For rapidly growing cities such as Guwahati, the need for air quality monitoring and management is becoming increasingly important. The rising number of vehicles, expanding construction activities, and rapid urbanization are contributing to growing air pollution problems. Similar trends are emerging in many other cities as well, making scientific air quality monitoring systems essential.

The newly installed Air Quality Management System at Bajali Higher Secondary School is expected to benefit not only the students of the school but also students, researchers, and teachers from Bhattadev University and other nearby educational institutions. The system will provide valuable real time environmental data that can support academic learning, research, and public awareness.

During the March 10 programme, another important development took place. A handbook titled “Everyday Climate Action: A Handbook for GenZ,” authored by climate activist Rituraj Phukan and published by the Mahabahu Climate Forum, was officially released in Pathsala and presented to the Bajali District Commissioner.

It is noteworthy that District Commissioner Mridul Kumar Das had strongly requested the preparation of such a handbook to support the climate education classes being conducted twice a month in schools across the district. With the release of the handbook, his long standing request was finally fulfilled. After the launch, both the District Commissioner and environmentalist Ananda Khataniar expressed hope that the handbook would serve as an important resource for teachers, students, and parents across the region.

The Mahabahu Climate Forum has also taken several other initiatives to promote climate education. The organization has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bhattadev University and has begun a Green Campus Programme in several colleges under the university. The programme is being led by RiturajPhukan, and is considered the first initiative of its kind in Northeast India under the international climate organization The Climate Reality Project.

In addition, the Mahabahu Climate Forum has started preparing academic curricula for thirty hour and one hundred twenty hour courses on climate justice and climate action.

Recognizing the strong support received during these initiatives, the Mahabahu Climate Forum expressed special appreciation to Bajali District Commissioner Mridul Kumar Das for his encouragement and leadership.

The organization also conveyed its gratitude to Assam’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change Chandra Mohan Patowary, Special Chief Secretary Mahendra Kumar Yadav, Chief Executive Officer of the Assam Climate Change Management SocietyDr.Satyendra Singh, Technical Advisor Dr.RizwanUz Zaman, Divisional Forest Officer T. C. Ranjit, and Bajali Higher Secondary School Principal Ranjan Chakraborty.

Through this collective effort involving the district administration, environmental experts, educational institutions, and civil society, Bajali has taken an important step toward strengthening climate education, environmental awareness, and scientific monitoring within the education system. The initiative may serve as an inspiring example for many other districts seeking to integrate climate responsibility into education and community life.

10-03-2026

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