Lok Sabha Question No. 2453 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-03-09
Subject: Nitrogen Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: SHOBHA KARANDLAJE, PRATHAP SIMHA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2453

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2018

## Nitrogen Pollution

## 2453.   KUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE:

## SHRI PRATHAP SIMHA:

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

- (a) whether Nitrogen Pollution is fast emerging as a more challenging problem which may become a serious ecological threat and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether according to the data of the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI), of the  17  Million  tonne  of  Nitrogen  Fertiliser  consumed  annually  in  the country, only a third of that, which is applied to rice and wheat, is absorbed by the plants in the form of nitrates;
- (c) if so, whether nearly eighty percent of the Nitrogen used during agriculture and  other  activities  is  lost  to  the  environment  leading  to  irreparable  and irreversible  damage  to  the  water  bodies  and  environment  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  make  intensive  efforts  to  rein  in Nitrogen  effluence  as  manufacturing  of  nitrous  fertilisers  is  an  extremely fossil fuel intensive activity and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken by the Government for effective remedial measures to curb Nitrogen effluence in the country?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to  (c)    Excess  release  of  anthropogenic  nitrogenous  compounds  like  Nitrogen Oxides  and Nitrogenous fertilizers leads to environmental pollution including pollution in water bodies.

According to Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) nearly 50% of Nitrogen used in the form  of  fertilizer  during  agriculture  and  other  activities  is  lost  to  the  environment through the process of leaching principally as nitrate and volatilization as ammonia gas.

(d) &   (e) The initiatives taken by the Government to control the environmental pollution due to nitrogenous chemical compounds inter-alia include, categorization of fertilizer industry under 17 categories of highly polluting industries; stringent norms stipulated  for  Nitrogenous  compounds in emission/effluent discharge from fertilizer industry;  installation  of  online  (24x7)  monitoring  devices  and  adoption  of  water conservation  practices  by  fertilizer  industry;  directions  from    CPCB  to  SPCBs  for setting up of  sewerage system for sewage collection, treatment and disposal by  local/ urban bodies and also to meet the standards as laid down for its use for non-potable purpose;  etc.

In addition, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) also inter-alia recommended  soil  test  based  integrated  nutrient  management  practices  through conjunctive  use  of  inorganic  and  organic  sources  (compost,  bio-fertilizers,  green manure etc.);  split  application  and placement  of  nitrogenous  fertilizers,  use  of  slow releasing N-fertilizers; nitrification inhibitors and use of neem coated urea; education and training programmes for farmers etc. for curbing nitrogen effluence.

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