Development Alternatives, being committed towards a clean environment, initiated an environment laboratory known as TARA Environment Monitoring Facility way back in 1990. Initially, the laboratory was set up to facilitate projects relating to environmental issues within Development Alternatives. Realising the importance of environment in the Indian context, it was felt that the laboratory be upgraded to cater to the requirements of civic agencies, industries, NGOs and communities to improve the quality of Environment.
 
TARA Environment Monitoring Facility, located at Andheria Mor, near Mehrauli is a well equipped laboratory ,capable of testing the quality of water( including waste water) , air and soil. The laboratory is recognised by Delhi Pollution Control Board to facilitate industries check the quality of their effluents. It is equipped with sophisticated instruments like Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (for heavy metal analysis of air, water and soil samples),UV-Visible Spectrophoto-meters (for colorimetric analysis of air, water and soil samples), Ion meters, flame photometers, sophisticated balances (.01mg accuracy), conductivity meters, incubator, flue gas analysers, air samplers (for ambient air quality monitoring), stack monitoring kits, etc.
 
TARA Environment Monitoring Facility has a team of highly skilled scientists and analysts in the field of air, water, and soil quality monitoring, analysis and treatment. The facility has the capability of taking up consultancy projects in the areas mentioned below:

      Drinking water and waste water

• Water quality monitoring and analysis (drinking and waste water) except for pesticides and total organic carbon

• Designing of waste water treatment plant for industries

• Performance evaluation of waste water treatment plants

• Assessment and treatment of drinking water quality of hotels, offices, restaurants, schools, housing societies, etc.

• Water auditing for industries and corporate complexes

• Ambient air quality monitoring and analysis

• Stack monitoring and analysis

• Performance evaluation of treatment plants

• Ventilation hood designing for industries

• Environmental auditing for design modifications

• Soil quality analysis (including heavy metals) for various uses like brick manufacturing

• Soil-fertility test and Soil treatment for agricultural purposes

TARA Environment Monitoring Facility is involved in various research and development activities since 1990. Some of the projects taken up by the facility are:
 
Research & Development programme for low cost environment monitoring kits – This programme was taken up to facilitate schools, NGOs, industries and concerned authorities to monitor the local environment quality. Under this programme, water quality monitoring kit (Jal TARA) and air quality monitoring kit (Pawan TARA) were developed.

a) Jal TARA: Jal TARA can test 14 parameters which include physical, chemical and biological parameters.
b) Pawan TARA: Pawan TARA is a low volume air sampler and can test for three parameters, namely-respirable dust particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen.
c) Other kits : Customised kits are also being manufactured on demand. About 200 water testing kits to test pH, Fluoride and Nitrate were designed for UNICEF.
 
Research and development - slow sand water purification system – With the aim of reducing the incidence of water borne diseases in India, the lab has developed a prototype water purification system for communities. This system is based on slow sand filtration technique has been developed to improve the quality of water in terms of bacterial contamination and turbidity? One such system is already functioning in the laboratory facility. A few systems are likely to be installed in schools and communities.
 
Research and Development of low cost Colorimeter – To improve the accuracy of testing, using a low cost environment monitoring kit, a low cost colorimeter has been developed which is under field testing after completion of extensive laboratory testing.
 
R & D of Heavy metal testing kit – A new and ambitious project, initiated recently, involves the development of a low cost heavy metal testing kit for electroplating industries and an arsenic testing kit for arsenic affected areas.