Combating Air Pollution : Government of India launched National Clean Air Programme
RAJYA SABHA
Combating Air Pollution
75 SHRI KANAKAMEDALA RAVINDRA KUMAR
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to State:
(a) |whether Government is aware of the fact that air pollution has become a serious threat to the human kind;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether Government has any proposal to put in place a comprehensive plan to combat air pollution and provide clean air to the people of the country; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)
(a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARAS (a) TO (d) OF THE RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 75 DUE FOR REPLY ON 08.02.2021 REGRADING COMBATING AIR POLLUTION RAISED BY SHRI KANAKAMEDALA RAVINDRA KUMAR, HON’BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT
(a) to (d) Air pollution is presently one of the biggest environmental challenges globally. In India, Indo-gangetic plains have high air pollution levels due to adverse meteorology, dust due to alluvial soil, and sources such as vehicles, industries, construction & demolition activities, road dust, biomass burning, etc.
The Government has taken several steps for mitigation of air pollution. Hon’ble Prime Minister launched Air Quality Index (AQI) in 2015, which provides air pollution information and health effect in simple form, which can be understood even by common persons. National Air Quality Standards are also based on _ health consideration.
On 15″ August 2020, the Hon’ble Prime Minister also announced to improve air quality in more than 100 cities.
Government of India launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which is very comprehensive plan to tackle air pollution problem across the country in a focussed manner to achieve 20 % to 30 % reduction in PMjo9 and PM) slevels by 2024 from 2017 levels. The concerned ministries, State Governments, Research Institutes, Industries, etc. are partner in this effort.
Based on air quality data, 122 non-attainment cities have been identified, and City Specific Clean Air Action Plans have been prepared and approved for 102 non-attainment cities. The other measures taken by the Government includes:
i. Vehicular Pollution Control
- Leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI norms for fuel and vehicles since April, 2020.
- Network of Metro rails for public transport are enhanced and more cities are covered.
- Development of Expressway and Highways are also reducing the fuel consumption and pollution.
- Introduction of cleaner/alternate fuels like CNG, LPG, ethanol blending in petrol.
- Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) -2 scheme has been rolled out
- Permit requirement for electric vehicles has been exempted.
- Promotion of public transport and improvements in roads and building of more bridges to ease congestion on roads.
ii. Industrial Pollution Control
- Stringent emission norms for Coal based Thermal Power Plants (TPPs).
- Pet coke and furnace oil have been banned as fuel in Delhi and NCR States
- Industrial units shifting to PNG.
- Installation of on-line continuous monitoring devices in highly polluting industries.
- Shifting of Brick kilns to zig-zag technology for reduction of pollution
- Notifications of 6 waste management rules covering solid waste, plastic waste, e-waste, bio-medical waste, C&D waste and hazardous waste.
- Setting up infrastructure such ass waste processing plants.
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic and e-waste management.
- Ban on burning of biomass/garbage.
- Under Central Sector Scheme on ‘Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for in-situ management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi’,agricultural machines and equipment for in-situ crop residue management are promoted with 50% subsidy to the individual farmers and 80% subsidy for establishment of Custom Hiring Centres.
- Expansion of air quality monitoring network under National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP)
- Implementation of Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi. The system provides alerts for taking timely actions.
- Rs. 336.8 crores have been sanctioned to non-attainment cities under NCAP for initiating actions such as expansion of monitoring network, construction and demolition waste management facilities, non-motorised transport infrastructure, green buffers, mechanical street sweepers, composting units etc.
- 2200 crores have been released in the Budget of FY 2020-21 to tackle the burgeoning problem of air pollution. Further, an amount of 2,217 crores has been allocated for 42 urban centres with a million-plus population in this budget for improvement of air quality.
- A provision of 1,41,678 crores over a period of 5 years from 2021-2026 has been made for Urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 with a focus on air pollution reduction by effectively managing waste from construction-and- demolition activities and bio-remediation of all legacy dump sites.
- Rs. 1726.67 crores have been released for crop residue management in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi, during the year 2018-21.