Lok Sabha Question No. 2089 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-23
Subject: Dip in Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Rahul Ramesh Shewale

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2089

TO BE ANSWERED ON 23.09.2020

## Dip in Pollution

## 2089.   SHRI RAHUL RAMESH SHEWALE:

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

- (a) whether the  Government has taken cognizance of the dip in air pollution  and  river pollution during the period of nationwide lockdown due to COVID 19 Pandemic in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has taken note of suggestions received from various quarters to  consider  a  change  in  their  Policy  on  the  basis  of  data  of  air  and  river  pollution collected during the period of lockdown to check rise of air and river pollution across the country;
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with action taken/ being taken by the Government on such suggestions/ proposals so far; and
- (e) the further steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

## (a) to (c)

It has been reported that COVID-19 related lockdown has resulted in temporary improvement of air  and water quality  in many cities and rivers due to closure of industries, reduction in number of vehicles  plying,  lack  of  construction  activities  and  absence  of  human  activities such as throwing of garbage, bathing, washing of clothes etc.

## (d) & (e)

The Government has taken several steps to combat air pollution and water pollution which inter  alia,  includes  notification  of  National  Ambient  Air  Quality  Standards,  revision  of emission standards for industrial sectors from time to time, setting up of monitoring network for  assessment  of  ambient  air  quality,  introduction  of  cleaner  /  alternate  fuels  like  gaseous fuel (CNG, LPG etc.), launching of National Air Quality index, leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards, notification of Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, Notifications of 6 waste management rules covering solid waste, plastic waste, e-waste, biomedical  waste,  C&D  waste  and  hazardous  wastes  issued  in  2016,  banning  of  burning  of biomass,  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  for  controlling  air  pollution, installation of on-line continuous (24x7) monitoring devices by major industries, notification of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for Delhi and NCR, Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP)  for  air  pollution  control  in  Delhi  and  NCR,  formulation  of  National  Clean  Air Programme (NCAP), organization of clean air campaigns, etc,

In  reference  to  water  pollution  and  chemical  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  into  land  masses/water  bodies, operations  or  processes;  enforcing  of  these  standards  by  State  Pollution  Control  Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) through a consent mechanism to establish/operate 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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