Lok Sabha Question No. 1565 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-07-25
Subject: Monitoring of Air Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: RAMESH POKHRIYAL NISHANK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION N0 1565

TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.07.2017

## Monitoring of Air Pollution

## 1565. DR. RAMESH POKHRIYAL 'NISHANK':

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether air pollution is regularly monitored in various cities of the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)   whether the level of air pollution has increased several times from the prescribed level including in Delhi and other metropolitan cities during the last three years;
- (c)   if  so,  the  special  measures  taken  by  his  Ministry  to  address  the  issue  of  increasing pollution in future;
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  promote  CNG  propelled  vehicles  to  reduce pollution in view of the respiratory diseases in metropolitan cities particularly in Delhi; and
- (e) whether there is any scheme to promote use of CNG in hilly, tribal and far-flung areas which are sensitive from the environment point of view?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

(a) & (b) Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  and  State Pollution  Control  Boards (SPCBs)  monitor  ambient  air  quality  in  the  country  under  the  National  Air  Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP). Three air pollutants viz., Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Particulate Matter (PM10), are monitored at the 684 manual monitoring stations located in 302 cities / towns in 29 states and 5 union territories. Analysis of ambient air  quality  data  of  42  million  plus  cities  for  last  three  years  indicate  that  the  values  of SO2 were within the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of 50 µg/m 3 (annual standard) in all the cities during 2016. The value of NO2 were within permissible NAAQS limit of 40 µg/m 3 (annual standard) in most of the cities. Exceedance was mainly observed with  respect  to  particulate  matter.  However,  the  analysis  of  time  series  data  of  particulate matter in various cities does not show any significant rising trend despite rise in population, number of vehicles and other economic activities.

(c) Government has taken various measures to address issue of air pollution in the country which, inter alia, include notification of NAAQS; revision of emission and effluent standards for industrial sectors from time to time; setting up of monitoring network for assessment of ambient  air  quality;  launching  of  National  Air  Quality  index;  introduction  of  cleaner  / alternate fuels; universalization of BS-IV by 2017; leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards  by 1st  April,  2020;  promotion  of  public  transport  and  network  of  metro,  erickshaws,  promotion  of  car  pooling,  Pollution  Under  Control  Certificate,  lane  discipline, vehicle maintenance, notification of Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules; banning  of  burning  of  biomass;  issuance  of  directions  under  Section  18(1)(b)  of  Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 comprising of action points to address air pollution  in  major  cities  including  control  and  mitigation  measures  related  to  vehicular emissions, re-suspension of road dust and other fugitive emissions, bio-mass/municipal solid waste burning, industrial pollution,  construction and demolition activities, and other general steps;  installation  of  on-line  continuous  (24x7)  monitoring  devices  by  major  industries; collection of Environmental Protection Charge on more than 2000 CC diesel vehicles; and notification of graded response action plan for Delhi and NCR etc.

(d)  &  (e)  In  order  to  reduce  air  pollution  in  metropolitan  cities,  the  Government  has introduced cleaner alternate fuels like Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) etc. for vehicles. CNG vehicles are already plying in metropolitan cities of the country including Delhi. Delhi has world's largest public transport system that runs on CNG. Further  Gas  Authority  of  India  Limited is  also  implementing  Green  Corridor  Project to facilitate the availability of CNG beyond city limits so that the clean fuel can be used for long  distance  journeys.   It  also  enhances  the  CNG  usage. The  standing  committee  on petroleum and natural gas has made recommendations on 'Promotion of CNG'.

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