Lok Sabha Question No. 1065 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-22
Subject: Pollution Level after Diwali
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Rajesh Verma

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

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION N0. 1065

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.11.2019

## Pollution Level after Diwali

## 1065. SHRI RAJESH VERMA:

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

- (a)   whether the environment of Delhi and National Capital Region (NCR) deteriorates after Diwali during the last few years and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)   the works carried out so far by the Government to check it;
- (c)   whether the Government has formulated any action plan to deal with such situation in the future; and;
- (d)   if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) As  per  available  data,  the  environment  of  Delhi  and  National  Capital  Region  (NCR) deteriorates  with  respect  to  particulate  matter  (PM2.5  and  PM10)  particularly  in  the  winter months after Diwaliduring the last few years.The Air Quality Index(AQI)in Delhi for seven days before andafter Diwali dayfor the years 2016 to 2019is on Annexure-I. The increase in level of air pollution occurs due to adverse meteorological conditions like low temperature, poor wind speed and low mixing height apart frombursting of firecrackers and other major contributing factors inter alia from vehicular emission, industrial emissions, biomass / stubble burning, municipal waste burning and dust suspension.
- (b) The works carried out by the Government to check environmental pollution after Diwali, inter  alia ,  include;  prohibition  of  manufacture,  sale  or  use  of  fire-crackers  exceeding  the noise  level  as  prescribed  in  the  Noise  Rules,  2000with  safety  regulations  prescribed  by Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO), development of eco-friendly firecrackers  or  green  firecrackers  with  20-30%  reduction  in  pollution  throughCouncil  of Scientific &  Industrial Research (CSIR)-National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), manufacture and sale of green firecrackersfor Diwali as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court, banning of chemicals like Barium/Lithium/Arsenic/Antimony/Lead/Mercury  in  the  firecrackers,licensing  of  fireworks industries  for  new  formulations  of  green  crackers  by  Petroleum  and  Explosives  Safety Organisation (PESO), advisories for noise monitoring on the occasion of Diwali, prohibition of the use of fireworks between 10.00 p.m. and 6.00 a.m., publicity regarding the ill effects of the  firecrackers  and  awareness  programme,  Clean  Air  Campaign'  last  year  to  check  air polluting activities pre and post Diwali,'Harit Diwali- Swasth Diwali' campaign, promotion

of peoples participation and awareness for environmental conservation through Green Goods Deedsetc. apart from various works carried out to check air pollution in Delhi and NCR.

(c) & (d) Ministry in consultation with CSIR-NEERI, PESO and CPCB has formulatedaction  plan  to  be  adopted  to  tackle  the  pollution  problem  which  occurs  due  to firecrackers during Diwali. The actions suggested is development ofReduced Emission firecrackers  which inter  alia include  (i)  definition  and  formulation  of  Green  Fire  crackers (including new and improved formulations) as proposed by CSIR-NEERI, (ii) Research & development  of  new  and  improved  formulations  for  green  crackers  (for  popular  brands  of light  and  sound  emitting  crackers),  (iii)  stakeholders  consultations  and  demonstration  to firework manufacturers, PESO and CPCB, (iv) establishing baselines, assessment of Barium levels in improved  formulations, comparative  evaluation of green crackers vis-a vis conventional crackers etc. (v) establishment of emission testing facility for firecrackers, (vi) setting up Raw materials characterization facility to ensure usage of raw materials/chemicals of acceptable quality.

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Annexure - I ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION N0. 1065 DUE FOR REPLY ON 22/11/2019 REGARDING  POLLUTION  LEVEL  AFTER  DIWALI  RAISED  BY  SHRI  RAJESH VERMA, HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

Air Quality Index in Delhi - before and after Diwali for the years 2016 - 2019

| Year/Day           | 2016       | 2016        | Promine nt Pollutant   | 2017   | 2017        | Prominent Pollutant   | 2018    | 2018      | Prominent Pollutant   | 2019    |   2019 | Prominent Pollutant   |
|--------------------|------------|-------------|------------------------|--------|-------------|-----------------------|---------|-----------|-----------------------|---------|--------|-----------------------|
| 7 Day Before       | 23-Oct     | 318         | PM2.5, PM10            | 12-Oct | 268         | PM2.5, PM10           | 31- Oct | 358       | PM2.5,PM1 0           | 20- Oct |    238 | PM2.5,PM 10           |
| 6 Day Before       | 24-Oct     | 306         | PM2.5, PM10            | 13-Oct | 285         | PM2.5, PM10           | 01- Nov | 393       | PM2.5, PM10           | 21- Oct |    249 | PM2.5,PM 10           |
| 5 Day Before       | 25-Oct     | 210         | PM2.5, PM10            | 14-Oct | 314         | PM2.5                 | 02- Nov | 370       | PM2.5, PM10           | 22- Oct |    207 | PM2.5,PM 10           |
| 4 Day Before       | 26-Oct     | 291         | PM2.5, PM10            | 15-Oct | 289         | PM2.5, PM10           | 03- Nov | 340       | PM2.5, PM10           | 23- Oct |    242 | PM2.5,PM 10           |
| 3 Day Before       | 27-Oct 355 | O3, PM2.5   | 16-Oct                 |        | 290         | PM2.5, PM10           | 04- Nov | 171       | PM2.5, PM10, Ozone    | 24- Oct |    311 | PM2.5,PM 10           |
| 2 Day Before       | 28-Oct 397 | PM2.5, PM10 | 17-Oct                 |        | 306         | PM2.5, NO2            | 05- Nov | 426       | PM2.5, PM10           | 25- Oct |    284 | PM2.5,PM 10           |
| 1 Day Before       | 29-Oct 404 | PM2.5, PM10 | 18-Oct                 | 302    |             | PM2.5, PM10           | 06- Nov | 338       | PM2.5, PM10           | 26- Oct |    287 | PM2.5,PM 10           |
| Diwali day         | 30-Oct 431 | PM2.5       | 19-Oct                 | 319    |             | PM2.5, PM10           | 07- Nov | 281       | PM2.5, PM10           | 27- Oct |    337 | PM2.5,PM 10           |
| 1 Day after        | 31-Oct 445 | PM2.5, PM10 | 20-Oct                 | 403    | PM2.5, PM10 |                       | 08- Nov | 390       | PM2.5, PM10           | 28- Oct |    368 | PM2.5,PM 10           |
| 2 Day after        | 01-Nov 389 | PM2.5, PM10 | 21-Oct                 | 389    |             | PM2.5, PM10           | 09- Nov | 423       | PM2.5                 | 29- Oct |    400 | PM2.5,PM 10           |
| 3 Day after 02-Nov | 432        | PM2.5, PM10 | 22-Oct                 | 329    |             | PM2.5, PM10           | 10- Nov | 405       | PM2.5, PM10           | 30- Oct |    419 | PM2.5                 |
| 4 Day after        | 03-Nov 432 | PM2.5, PM10 | 23-Oct                 | 306    |             | PM2.5, PM10           | 11- Nov | 401       | PM2.5, PM10           | 31- Oct |    410 | PM2.5                 |
| 5 Day after        | 04-Nov 372 | PM2.5, PM10 | 24-Oct                 | 309    |             | PM2.5, PM10           | 12- Nov | 399       | PM2.5, PM10           | 01- Nov |    484 | PM2.5                 |
| 6 Day after        | 05-Nov 485 | PM2.5, PM10 | 25-Oct                 | 344    | PM2.5, PM10 | 13- Nov               |         | 409       | PM2.5, PM10           | 02- Nov |    399 | PM2.5,PM 10           |
| 7 Day after        | 06-Nov 497 | PM2.5, PM10 | 26-Oct                 | 321    | PM2.5,      | PM10 14- Nov          |         | 312 PM2.5 |                       | 03- Nov |    494 | PM2.5                 |

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