Lok Sabha Question No. 2267 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-29
Subject: Particulate Matter
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: SATYA PAL SINGH, R. VANAROJA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2267 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2016

## Particulate Matter

## 2267.   SHRI SATYAPAL SINGH: SHRIMATI VANAROJA R.:

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

- (a)   whether according to the report of the Central Pollution Control Board, the quantity of PM 10 pollutants has reached upto 1292 microgram per cubic meter on 30 October 2016 as  compared  to  the  previous  year  whereas  notified  standards  are  100  microgram  per cubic meter and if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (b)   whether the Government has made arrangements to measure and publish the pollution data for other cities across the country on the lines of Delhi, and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)   whether the Government proposes to construct towers for replacing the polluted air with clean air as being done by China and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  increase  the  number  of  air  monitoring  stations operating in India from 39 to 1500 at par with China and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken by the Government to check PM emission from power sector vehicles and biomas burning in coordination with the States?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

(a) The Central Pollution Control Board has reported concentration of particulate matter less than  10  micron  (PM10)  as1297  µg/  m 3 at  one  of  the  monitoring  location  in  Delhi  on 30.11.2016. The rise in air pollution, predominantly with respect to PM10, can be attributed to meteorological conditions like low temperature, poor wind speed and low mixing height, in addition to the major contributing factors like bursting of fire crackers, road dust, vehicular emissions,  construction  and  demolition  activities,  gensets,  industrial  emissions,  garbage burning, stubble burning, hot mix plants, brick kilns etc.

(b)  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  in  association  with  State  Pollution  Control Boards  (SPCBs)  /  Pollution  Control  Committees  (PCCs)  monitors  air  quality  across  the country under National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP). The NAMP network presently comprises 638 manual operating monitoring stations located in 271 cities/towns in

29 states and 5 union territories apart from 53 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) in cities.

(c) No such proposal is under consideration of the Government.

(d) Expansion of existing monitoring network is an ongoing process.

(e) The Government has taken various steps to control the emission of particulate matter from power  sector,  vehicles  and  burning  of  biomass  which ,  inter  alia ,  include  notification  of National Ambient Air Quality Standards; notification of revised standards for thermal power plants;  introduction of cleaner / alternate fuels like gaseous fuel (CNG, LPG etc.), ethanol blending;  promotion  of  cleaner  production  processes;  universalization  of  BS-IV  by  2017; leapfrogging  from  BS-IV  to  BS-VI  fuel  standards  by  1st  April,  2020;  comprehensive amendments  to  various  Waste  Management  Rules  and  notification  of  Construction  and Demolition Waste Management Rules; banning of burning of leaves, biomass and municipal solid waste; issuance of directions under Section 18(1)(b) of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986; installation of on-line continuous (24x7) effluent / emission monitoring devices by major industries; and ban on bursting of sound emitting crackers between 10 PM to 6 AM etc.

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