Lok Sabha Question No. 1077 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-22
Subject: Problem of Smog
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Pinaki Misra

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1077

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.11.2019

## Problem of Smog

## 1077.   SHRI PINAKI MISRA

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

- (a) whether there is any plan in place to create a GST Council like body with representatives of  all  stakeholder  States  and  the  Union  Government  for  the  purpose  of  battling  the problem of smog in the Indo-Gangetic Plain;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether such a consultation amongst all affected States and the Union Government has been undertaken informally or formally over the past year and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether any other form of participative approach to tackling this issue is being envisaged for a broader perspective ;and
- (e)   if so, the details thereof and if not, the steps taken by the government to ensure that such a public health emergency does not take place again?

## ANSWER

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

(a),  (b),  (c),  (d)  &  (e) The Central Government has launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)  under  the  Central  Sector  'Control  of  Pollution'  Scheme as a  long-term,  timebound, national  level  strategy  to  tackle  the  air  pollution  problem  across  the  country in  a comprehensive  manner with  targets  to  achieve  20  %  to  30  %  reduction  in  PM10  and  PM2.5 concentrations by 2024 keeping 2017 as the base year for the comparison of concentration. 102 non-attainment  cities  including  cities  in  Indo-Gangetic  Plain  have  been  identified  based  on ambient  air  quality  data  for  the  period  2011  -  2015  and  WHO  report  2014/2018.    Unique meteorological  conditions  along  with  emissions  from  various  local  sources  like  industrial emissions, vehicular emissions, stubble burning, road and soil dust, construction and demolition activities  contribute  to  poor  air  quality  in  Indo-  Gangetic  Plain  particularly  during  winter months.

Steering,  Monitoring  and  Implementation  Committees  have  been  constituted  at  Central level for overall guidance, policy formulation and implementation of NCAP. These Committees have participation from States as well. Similar Committees have been constituted at State level for  State  level  execution.  Meetings  of  Steering,  Monitoring  and  Implementation  Committees were held on 10 June 2019, 28 May 2019, 22 August, 2019,  respectively.

Further,  a  High  Level  Task  Force  (HLTF)  was  constituted  for  the  management  of  air pollution in Delhi and NCR in November, 2017 in which Chief Secretaries of Haryana, Delhi and Punjab participate. The HLTF closely monitors the implementation of measures related to management of air pollution in Delhi and NCR. 12 HLTF Meetings/ Meetings at the level of Prime Minister Office have been held.

Also, regular meetings have been held with the States of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh , Punjab ,Rajasthan  and  Delhi  under  the  chairmanship  of  Hon'ble  Minister,  Environment,  Forest  and Climate Change, Cabinet Secretary and Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for inter-State coordination for the abatement and control of air pollution. Measures to prevent  and  control  air  pollution  from  various  sources  like  industrial  emissions,  vehicular emissions,  stubble  burning,  road  and  soil  dust,  construction  and  demolition  activities  etc  are coordinated in these meetings.

Out of 102 non-attainment cities identified under NCAP, for the cities with million plus  population  and  PM10>90µg/m³,  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  Chang  is funding ₹10 crores in the current  year for 28 such priority cities for various components, that inter alia include public awareness and capacity building activities.

For  the  rest  62  non-attainment  cities,  funding  of  ₹10  lakhs  per  city  for  cities  with population less than 5 lakhs and ₹ 20 lakhs per city, for cities with a population of 5 to10 lakhs have  been  sanctioned  for  taking  up  activities  related  to  advocacy,  awareness  generation, sensitization , capacity building etc.

Further,  a  Graded  Response  Action  Plan  (GRAP)  has  been  notified  for  prevention, control  and  abatement  of  air  pollution  in  Delhi  and  NCR.  It  identifies  graded  measures  and implementing  agencies  for  response  to  four  AQI  categories,  namely,  Moderate  to  Poor,  Very Poor, Severe and Severe + or Emergency.

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