Lok Sabha Question No. 2970 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-03
Subject: Environmental Performance Index
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: A.P. JITHENDER REDDY, MAUSAM NOOR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION N0. 2970

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.08.2018

## Environmental Performance Index

## 2970.   SHRI A.P. JITHENDER REDDY: SHRIMATI MAUSAM NOOR:

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

- (a) the reasons for slipping from 41 in the year 2016 to 177 in 2018 in the Environmental Performance Index;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  taken  note  and  has  analyzed  the  reasons  for  such performance and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  details  of  the  performance  indicators  in  which  India  fared  the  worst  and  the reasons for such a performance in these particular indicators; and
- (d) the  details  of  the  proposed  plan  and  steps,  if  any,  aimed  at  improving  India's performance parameters in these particular indicators?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) to (c) The World Economic Forum ranked 180 countries on their performance across 24  metrics  aggregated  into  ten  issue  categories  including  environmental  health,  air quality,  water  resource  management,  biodiversity  and  habitat,  forestry,  fisheries, agriculture, and climate change.As per the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) of World Economic Forum, India was ranked at 141 st in 2016 and 177 th position in 2018. An  assessment  indicates  that  the  weightages  given  to  the  parameters  at  the  three hierarchical  levels  (policy  objectives,  issue  categories  and  indicators)  are  different  in 2016 and 2018 iterations.  The  changes made  have  not  been  explained  or  backed  by scientific  arguments,  and  seem  to  be  arbitrary.  In  2016,  the  two  policy  objectives Environmental health and Ecosystem vitality had a  weightage of 0.5  (or 50%) each; whereas in EPI 2018, it is 0.4 and 0.6 respectively. Further, for the category Air quality, theweightagegiveninEPI2016was0.3, which has been increased by over100%to0.65inEPI 2018. In EPI 2016, Air quality figured as a category only under Environmental health. However, in EPI 2018, Air quality figures under Environmental health,  and  there  is  a  category  Air  pollution  under  Ecosystem  vitality,  which  seems misplaced.  Different  weightages  and  difference  in  methodology  used  implies  that rankings  arrived  at  are  not  comparable  and  has  its  limitations.  Under  the  category Water  resources,  the  only  indicator  shown  is  Waste  water  treatment,  which  puts developed  countries  on  the  top  since  it  is  a  measure  of  the  capacity  to  address  a

problem.  The  report  relied  on  data  gathered  by  NASA  Satellite  in  place  of  actual monitored data. Report has not been peer reviewed.  Countries can be ranked on the basis of different criteria pollutants with different results.

- (d) The  Government  has  taken  several  steps  to  address  air  pollution  which inter  alia, include  notification  of  National  Ambient  Air  Quality  Standards;  setting  up  of monitoring network for assessment of ambient air quality; introduction of cleaner / alternate  fuels  like  gaseous  fuel  (CNG,  LPG  etc.),  ethanol  blending,  launching  of National Air Quality index; universalization of BS-IV since 2017; leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards by 1st April, 2020; notification of Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules; banning of burning of biomass; promotion of public  transport  network;  streamlining  the  issuance  of  Pollution  Under  Control Certificate;  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) monitoring devices by major industries; etc.

In  reference  to  Water  Pollution,  Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  is implementing  a  nationwide  water  quality  monitoring  under  National  Water  Quality Monitoring  Programme  (NWMP)  at  3500  locations  including  Surface  and  Ground water in association with State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) & Pollution control Committees  (PCCs)  to  fulfill  the  mandate  of  Water  (Prevention  &  Control  of Pollution) Act, 1974.

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