Lok Sabha Question No. 2138 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-11-29
Subject: Pollution in Delhi
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: KAUSHAL KISHORE, PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE, RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE, SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2138 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2016

## Pollution in Delhi

2138.   SHRI KAUSHAL KISHORE: DR. PRITAM GOPINATH MUNDE: SHRI RAHUL SHEWALE: DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

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

- (a)   whether Delhi has been described as the most polluted capital of the world and if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (b)   whether the Government has held a meeting with the stakeholders to discuss measures to control the rising levels of air pollution;
- (c)   if  so,  the  details  therof  indicating  the  names  of  states  which  participated  therein  along with the issues discussed and response of the State Government thereon;
- (d)  whether any discussion was also held for strict enforcement of statutory directions issued by CPCB under Section 18(1) (b) Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 on December  29,  2015  and  the  directions  were  issued  on  Nevember  2,  2016  to  22  local bodies of NCR and if so, the detials and status of implementation of the said decisions; and
- (e) the other steps taken by the Government to control the worsening situation of pollution in the country particularly in the Capital and NCR?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

(a) The methodology for calculation of pollution index in various parts of world is not same. Cities  can  be  ranked  on  the  basis  of  different  criteria  pollutants  with  different  results.  An ambient  air  pollution  database  released  by  the  World  Health  Organisation  in  May  2016 indicates that 10 Indian cities including Delhi fall among top 20 most polluted cities in the world in respect of PM2.5 (particulate matter) which is based on extrapolation of data relating to PM10 to arrive at PM2.5 data based on conversion factors in respect of cities where PM2.5 data is not measured. Therefore, care has to be exercised before drawing any inference.

(b) to (d) The  Central  Government  held  meetings  on  4 th November,  2016  and  7 th November, 2016 with State Governments of Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Union Territory  of Delhi and discussed the remedial measures for control of air pollution. Such  measure, inter  alia, include  strict  enforcement  of  statutory  directions  issued  on 29.12.2015  and  02.11.2016;    action  against  visibly  polluting  vehicles;  overloaded  vehicles and  parking  in  non-designated  areas;  strengthening  of  Pollution  Under  Control  (PUC) regimes; promotion of public transport system through expeditious expansion of metro rail and  procurement  of  additional  buses;  sprinkling  of  water  on  dusty  roads;  introduction  of wet/mechanized  vacuum  sweeping  of  roads,  maintenance  of  pothole  free  roads,  black topping/pavement  of  road  shoulders;  greening  of  open  areas  of  gardens  and  community places;  closure  of  brick  kilns  operating  on  obsolete  technologies  during  the  winter  season; strict implementation of dust control measures at construction and demolition sites; avoiding rampant  onsite  bitumen  burning;    joint  inspection  by  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  and State Pollution Control Boards of 17 categories of highly polluting industries located in NCR; strict enforcement of notified standards for DG sets; appropriate utilization of funds related to Environmental  Compensation  Charge  and  Diesel  cess  by  Government  of  NCT  of  Delhi including  funding  of  proposal  in  neighboring  States  for  incentivizing  farm  machinery; forwarding the proposal for financial assistance submitted by State Governments to Ministry of Agriculture and Family Welfare for funding of equipment; setting up of bio-mass power plants by Governments of Punjab and Haryana; strict enforcement of ban on stubble burning by  State  Governments;  tapping  resources  under  Corporate  Social  Responsibility  (CSR)  for measures to control stubble burning and review of progress of action taken on measures to control pollution on monthly basis by Chairman CPCB and quarterly basis by Ministry; etc.

(e) The Government has taken several other steps to curb pollution in Delhi and NCR which inter  alia include  notification  of  National  Ambient  Air  Quality  Standards;  formulation  of environmental  regulations  /  statutes;  setting  up  of  monitoring  network  for  assessment  of ambient  air  quality;  introduction  of  cleaner  /  alternate  fuels  like  gaseous  fuel  (CNG,  LPG etc.), ethanol blending etc.; promotion of cleaner production processes; launching of National Air Quality index; 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; installation of  on-line  continuous  (24x7)  emission  /  effluent  monitoring  devices  by  major  industries; collection of Environmental Protection Charge on more than 2000 CC diesel vehicles; ban on bursting of sound emitting crackers between 10 PM to 6 AM etc.

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