Lok Sabha Question No. 1370 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-12-22
Subject: Awareness Regarding Air Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: MALLIKARJUN  KHARGE

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1370

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.12.2017

## Awareness regarding Air Pollution

## 1370.    SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE:

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

- (a) the  reasons  that  India  has  maximum  number  of  cities  in  list  of  cities  having  highest pollution levels;
- (b) the steps taken and money spent in order to solve this problem;
- (c) whether the Government initiated any special schemes to make people aware about the health issues and their precautions arising due to air pollution; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) India has one of the largest urban systems in the world, with many cities located in agroclimatic zones which have high levels of particulate matter due to natural reasons such as Gangetic plains.  India is also home to over 16% of global population, though it has only 2.5% of the geographical area of the world.  Due to these reasons India has a large number of cities that do not meet norms related to air quality standards.  Further, the methodology for assessment of pollution in various parts of world is not same. Countries can be ranked on the basis of different criteria pollutants with different results. As such it is difficult to compare different countries since they differ in their various characteristics.
- (b) 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 by 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.    Abatement  of  pollution  is  largely  the  responsibility  of State Governments, local bodies, agencies of the State Governments and industrial units. The Government of India supplements the efforts of State Governments, etc.  Government provides funds to CPCB for its various activities, including air pollution mitigation efforts. The details of the funds provided by government to CPCB is at Annexure I . State-wise details of funds released to various Monitoring Agencies during last three years and current year  for  ambient  air  quality  monitoring  as  operational  and  maintenance  cost  under National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) is given at Annexure-II .

- (c) & (d)  National Air Quality Index (NAQI) has been launched, which classifies air quality into good, satisfactory, moderate, poor, very poor, and severe categories. Government has also  undertaken  a  number  of  awareness  building  programs  to  highlight  the  issue  of  air pollution.  Ministry  launched  campaigns  such  as  'Harit  Diwali  and  Swasth  Diwali'  and 'Swachh  Hawa  for  Swachh  and  Swasth  Bharat'  covering  over  two  lakh  schools  in  the country.

***

ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1370 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 22.12.2017 REGARDING " AWARENESS ON AIR POLLUTION " RAISED BY SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE, HON'BLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ANNEXURE I

## Releases of Grant from the Government to CPCB last 3 years and current year

(fig in ₹ in crore)

| Financial Year               | Released to CPCB   |
|------------------------------|--------------------|
| 2014-15                      | 60.10              |
| 2015-16                      | 66.5               |
| 2016-17                      | 88.19 Crore        |
| 2017-18 (till November 2017) | 70.3 Crore         |

ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1370 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 22.12.2017 REGARDING " AWARENESS ON AIR POLLUTION " RAISED BY SHRI MALLIKARJUN KHARGE, HON'BLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

## Annexure-II Details of Payment Released to Various Monitoring Agencies under National Air

## Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) (figs in ₹)

| S.No.   | Name of Monitoring Agency   | 2014-15   | 2015-16   | 2016-17   | 2017-18 till Dec 2017   |
|---------|-----------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-------------------------|
| 1.      | Andhra Pradesh SPCB         | 7666250   | -         | -         | -                       |
| 2.      | Arunachal Pradesh SPCB      | -         | -         | -         | 3005334                 |
| 3.      | Assam SPCB                  | 7842500   | -         | -         | 11208000                |
| 4.      | Chandigarh PCC              | -         | -         | 4113833   |                         |
| 5.      | Chattisgarh ECB             | -         | 1526250   | -         |                         |
| 6.      | Gujarat SPCB                | -         | -         | -         |                         |
| 7.      | Goa SPCB                    | 7125000   | 7789333   | -         |                         |
| 8.      | Himachal Pradesh SEP& PCB   | -         | 10128333  | -         |                         |
| 9.      | Karnataka SPCB              | 354167    | 6749583   | -         |                         |
| 10.     | Kerala SPCB                 | 6474167   | -         | -         |                         |
| 11.     | Maharashtra SPCB            | -         | -         | 16316919  |                         |
| 12.     | Meghalaya SPCB              | -         | 7845833   | -         | 9173333                 |
| 13.     | Madhya Pradesh SPCB         | -         | -         | 7984417   |                         |
| 14.     | Mizoram SPCB                | 1765000   | 5413333   | 4253333   | 2706667                 |
| 15.     | Nagaland SPCB               | 906667    | -         | 3658667   | 1717333                 |
| 16.     | Orissa SPCB                 | 5734583   | -         | 5872500   |                         |
| 17.     | Punjab SPCB                 | 7795417   | -         | -         |                         |
| 18.     | Puducherry                  | -         | -         | 5110333   |                         |
| 19.     | Rajasthan SPCB              | -         | 4218750   | -         |                         |
| 20.     | Tamil Nadu SPCB             | 2358333   | -         | -         |                         |
| 21.     | Uttar Pradesh SPCB          | -         | 7263333   | -         |                         |
| 22.     | Uttarakhand EP&PCB          | -         | 4085833   | -         |                         |
| 23.     | NEERI                       | 7047000   | 13612000  | 22288000  | 21600000                |
| 24.     | IIT Kanpur                  | 3709378   | -         | -         | 3709378                 |
|         | Total =                     | 58778462  | 68632581  | 69598002  | 53120045                |

Note:- SPCB - State Pollution Control Board, SEP&PCB - State Environment Protection & Pollution Control Board, EP& PCB - Environment Protection & Pollution Control Board, PCC - Pollution Control Committee. NEERI is at present monitoring in  6  cities  in  5  different  states/Union  territories  namely  Delhi,  Maharashtra,  West  Bengal,  Tamil  Nadu  and  Andhra Pradesh.