Lok Sabha Question No. 3154 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-06
Subject: Air and Water Purity
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Kanakmal Katara

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION N0. 3154

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2019

## Air and Water Purity

## 3154. SHRI KANAKMAL KATARA:

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

- (a) whether India does not hold a good record with respect to water and air purity in the world;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and India's present ranking position in regard to water and air quality index;
- (c) whether  India's  present  ranking  is  not  up  to  the  mark  in  comparison  with  global standards;
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor; and
- (e) the special initiatives taken by the Government to improve India's ranking?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) to (e) The government is aware that several private institution and universities, while adapting different methodologies, different data set and giving different weightages to the parameters are ranking the countries.  The data used for ranking is not validated by  proper  ground  truthing.  Further,  the  methodology  for  ranking  needs  to  be  peer reviewed. With the growing concerns on air pollution, the Government has introduced National  Air  Quality  Index  (NAQI),  which  is  computed  scientifically  using  PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb that would facilitate effective dissemination of Air Quality.

The Central  Government has taken several  measures for  prevention,  control and abatement of air and water pollution across the country which inter alia includes issuing  stringent  plans  like  Comprehensive  Action  Plan,  Graded  Response  Action Plan, National Clean Air Programme; increasing of monitoring network for assessment of ambient air quality; Leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards since 1st April, 2018 in NCT of Delhi and from by 1st April, 2020 in the rest of the country; Introduction of cleaner / alternate fuels like gaseous fuel (CNG, LPG etc.); ensuring  the  stricter  norms  for  reducing  industrial  emissions;  notifying    6  waste management  rules  covering  solid  waste,  plastic  waste,  e-waste,  bio-medical  waste, C&D  waste  and  hazardous  wastes  in  2016  etc.  All  these  measures  helped  in  the improvement of overall air  quality  in  the  country.  On  the  analysis  of  last  five-year ambient air quality data (2014-2018), across the country, it is observed that most of the cities were within the National Standards with respect to parameters of SO2 and NO2.  With  respect  to  PM10  and  PM2.5,  18  and  12  cities  respectively  showed decreasing trend. In reference to Delhi, there has been an overall improvement in air quality  of  Delhi  in  2019  as  compared  to  that  of  2016.  The  number  of  'Good  to 'Moderate' days has increased to 175 in 2019 as compared to 108 in 2016.

In reference to water pollution, the steps taken by the Government to check the pollution of water bodies, inter alia, include formulation and notification of standards for effluents from industries, operations or processes; enforcing of these standards by State Pollution  Control  Boards  (SPCBs)/Pollution  Control  Committees  (PCCs) through consent mechanism and regular monitoring; setting up of monitoring network for assessment of water quality; installation of Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring systems (OCEMS) to check the discharge of effluent directly into water bodies; promotion of cleaner production processes; installation of Common Effluent Treatment Plants for cluster of Small Scale Industrial units; issuance of directions for implementation  of  Zero  Liquid  Discharge  in  certain  categories  of  highly  polluting industries;  issuance  of  directions  under  Section  5  of  Environment  (Protection)  Act, 1986 and under Section 18(1)(b) of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, etc.

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