Lok Sabha Question No. 991 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-08
Subject: Environmental Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: BHAGWANTH KHUBA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION N0. 991

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2019

## Environmental Pollution

## 991. SHRI BHAGWANTH KHUBA:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken note that environmental pollution is on the rise in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  the  callous  attitude  of  authorities  including police is one of the main reason for the said pollution and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has put any mechanism in place to fix the responsibilities on the authorities concerned for the irregularities and illegalities committed by them and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to ensure the strict implementation of the rules in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Ambient  air  quality  is  monitored  at  731  locations  covering  312  cities/towns  in  29 States  and  6  Union  Territories  across  the  country  under  National  Air  Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP). The ambient air quality data for million plus cities during  2015-2017  is  at Annexure .  Analysis  of  data  revealed  that  SO2  levels  were within the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) in all 43 cities during 2015-17. With respect to NO2, 9 cities showed an increasing trend, 10 cities showed a decreasing  concentration  and  24  cities  showed  a  fluctuating  trend.  With  respect  to PM10, 9 cities showed an increasing trend, 5 cities showed a decreasing concentration and 29 cities showed a fluctuating trend. With respect to PM2.5, trends are available for  15  cities  and  out  of  15  cities,  05  cities  showed  an  increasing  trend,  03  cities showed a decreasing concentration, 07 cities showed a fluctuating trend.

Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  is  also  implementing  a  nationwide  water quality  monitoring  network  under  National  Water  Quality  Monitoring  Programme (NWMP)  at  3500  locations including monitoring Ground  water resources in association  with  State  Pollution  Control  Boards  (SPCBs)  &  Pollution  Control Committees  (PCCs)  in  29  States  and  6  Union  Territories  to  fulfil  the  mandate  of Water  (Prevention  &  Control  of  Pollution)  Act,  1974.    The  network  covers  2511 locations on surface water and 989 on Wells (ground water).Based on assessment of water  quality  of  rivers  with  respect  to  Biochemical  Oxygen  Demand  (BOD), percentage  of  locations  not  complying  with  the  Water  quality  criteria  for  bathing (notified under Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 in year 2000), 3mg/l or less, has decreased over the years indicating improvement in water quality.

- (b) to  (d)  Various  directions  have  been  issued  by  CPCB  to  SPCBs,  PCCs  and  other concerned agencies for effective implementation of pollution related rules from time to time.CPCB issued direction under Section 5 of E (P) Act, 1986 dated 29.10.2018 to Uttar  Pradesh  and  Haryana  SPCBs  and  Delhi  PCC  to  initiate  criminal  prosecution against agencies who fail to take corrective actions.

Show-cause notice under section 5 of the E(P) Act, 1986 was issued for prosecution for effective management of construction and demolition (C&D)waste to North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on 12.12.2018 and 10.12.2018 respectively. Subsequently, Environmental compensation of ₹ 1.00 crore was imposed on NMCD on 24.01.2019. Show-cause notices have been issued by CPCB for prosecution to Northern Railways and Delhi State Industrial & Infrastructure Development  Corporation Ltd. (DSIIDC)  on  12.11.2018 and to Irrigation and Flood Control Department, Government of National Capital Territory, Delhi on 03.12.2018.

Further, Environmental compensation of ₹1 crore have been imposed vide directions dated  12.12.2018  under  section  5  of  the  E(P)  Act,  1986  on  oil  companies-  IOCL, HPCL and BPCL for non-compliance of directions regarding installation of stage  I and  Stage  II  vapour  recovery  system  and  on  Municipal  bodies  (New  Delhi,  South, East,  North  and  Cantonment  Board)  of  the  city  over  open  dumping/  burning  of garbage and C&D waste vide directions dated January 16, 2019 under section 31 A of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

The  stepstaken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  check  environmental  pollution, inter alia, include; notification of National Ambient Air Quality Standards; setting up of monitoring network for assessment of ambient air quality; introduction of cleaner / alternate  fuels  like  gaseous  fuel  (CNG,  LPG  etc.),  ethanol  blending;  launching  of National Air Quality index; universalization of BS-IV from 2017; leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards since 1st April, 2018 in NCT of Delhi and from 1st April,  2020  in  the  rest  of  the  country;  notification  of  Construction  and  Demolition Waste  Management  Rules;  banning  of  burning  of  biomass;  notifications  regarding mandatory implementation of dust mitigation measures for construction and demolition activities; promotion  of public transport network; 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, etc.

Also,  industrial  units  falling  under  17  categories  of  industries  and  grossly polluting  industries  in  Ganga  Basin  have  been  directed  to  install  OCEMS  (Online Continuous  Effluent/Emission  Monitoring  System)  to  help  track  the  discharges  of pollutants from these units. 3527 industrial units have installed OCEMS till date.

## Air quality status of million plus cities for 2015, 2016 and 2017 (Annual average in µg/m 3 )

| Sl. No.   | State                   | Cities               | 2015   | 2015   | 2015   | 2015   | 2016   | 2016   | 2016    | 2016   | 2017   | 2017   | 2017    | 2017   |
|-----------|-------------------------|----------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|---------|--------|--------|--------|---------|--------|
| Sl. No.   | State                   | Cities               | SO 2   | NO 2   | PM     | PM 2.5 | SO 2   | NO 2   | PM 10   | PM 2.5 | SO 2   | NO 2   | PM 10   | PM 2.5 |
| 1.        | Uttar Pradesh           | Agra                 | 4      | 22     | 10 186 | -      | 5      | 22     | 198     | -      | 4      | 19     | 185     | 124    |
| 2.        | Gujarat                 | Ahmedabad            | 13     | 21     | 89     | 29     | 14     | 27     | 108     | 34     | 14     | 29     | 120     | 38     |
| 3.        | Uttar Pradesh           | Allahabad            | 4      | 26     | 250    | -      | 4      | 37     | 196     | -      | 4      | 40     | 140     |        |
| 4.        | Punjab                  | Amritsar             | 11     | 30     | 148    | -      | 12     | 29     | 194     | -      | 11     | 27     | 168     | -      |
| 5.        | Maharashtra             | Aurangabad           | 13     | 40     | 83     | -      | 14     | 39     | 92      | -      | 10     | 33     | 83      | -      |
| 6.        | Karnataka               | Bangalore            | 6      | 20     | 119    | 54     | 3      | 31     | 103     | 51     | 2      | 31     | 92      | 46     |
| 7.        | Madhya Pradesh          | Bhopal               | 3      | 23     | 158    | 105    | 3      | 15     | 89      | 27     | 4      | 15     | 93      | 41     |
| 8.        | Tamilnadu               | Chennai              | 13     | 20     | 59     | 22     | 10     | 18     | 65      | 25     | 9      | 17     | 62      | 32     |
| 9.        | Tamilnadu               | Coimbatore           | 4      | 25     | 47     | 30     | 6      | 24     | 59      | 35     | 5      | 26     | 49      | 34     |
| 10.       | Delhi                   | Delhi                | 5      | 65     | 220    | 95     | 7      | 66     | 278     | 118    | 7      | 68     | 241     | 106    |
| 11.       | Jharkhand               | Dhanbad              | 12     | 37     | 168    | -      | 15     | 37     | 226 128 | -      | 15     | 37     | 238     | - -    |
| 12.       | Maharashtra             | Dombivali/Amber nath | 20     | 53     | 104    | -      | 26     | 76     |         | -      | 27     | 70     | 176     |        |
| 13.       | Haryana                 | Faridabad            | 15     | 74     | 105    | 56     | -      | -      | -       | -      | -      | -      | -       | -      |
| 14.       | Uttar Pradesh           | Ghaziabad            | 23     | 37     | 260    | -      | 15     | 28     | 235     | -      | 22     | 34     | 280     | -      |
| 15.       | Madhya Pradesh          | Gwalior              | 10     | 14     | 125    | 77     | 10     | 14     | 96      | 52     | 10     | 17     | 110     | 47     |
| 16.       | West Bengal             | Howrah               | 15     | 43     | 123    | 73     | 10     | 59     | 119     | 67     | 11     | 63     | 110     | 64     |
| 17.       | Telangana               | Hydrabad             | 4      | 23     | 93     | -      | 4      | 27     | 100     | 49     | 6      | 28     | 108     | 54     |
| 18.       | Madhya Pradesh          | Indore               | 11     | 20     | 97     | -      | 11     | 20     | 95      | 54     | 11     | 21     | 80      | 43     |
| 20.       | Pradesh Rajasthan       | Jaipur               | 7      | 36     | 171    | -      | 8      | 33     | 199     | -      | 8      | 30     | 177     | -      |
| 21.       | Rajasthan               | Jodhpur              | 6      | 24     | 152    | -      | 6      | 23     | 168     | -      | 6      | 21     | 180     | -      |
| 22.       | Uttar                   | Kanpur               | 6      | 36     | 201    | -      | 7      | 39     | 217     | -      | 7      | 45     | 224     | -      |
| 23.       | Pradesh West Bengal     | Kolkata              | 7      | 56     | 105    | 55     | 4      | 49     | 113     | 70     | 6      | 41     | 120     | 71     |
| 24.       | Rajasthan               | Kota                 | 6      | 34     | 134    | -      | 7      | 30     | 109     | -      | 8      | 28     | 130     | -      |
| 25.       | Uttar Pradesh           | Lucknow              | 8      | 28     | 169    | -      | 8      | 27     | 214     | -      | 8      | 26     | 246 162 | 102    |
| 26. 27.   | Punjab                  | Ludhiana             | 11 13  | 27     | 139    | -      | 11     | 25 24  | 139 76  | -      | 10     | 28     | 67      | -      |
|           | Tamilnadu Uttar Pradesh | Madurai Meerut       | 6      | 25 39  | 64     | -      | 7      | 55     | 157     | 38     | 7      | 23     | 153     | 30     |
| 28.       |                         |                      |        |        | 144    | 32     | 15     |        |         | -      | 14     | 52     |         | -      |
| 29.       | Maharashtra             | Mumbai               | 4      | 25     | 106    | 26     | 6      | 30     | 119     | 20     | 3      | 18     | 151     | 40     |
| 30. 31.   | Maharashtra             | Nagpur Nashik        | 10 15  | 25 23  | 90     | -      | 16     | 26     | 118     | - -    | 9 12   | 27 22  | 102 81  | - -    |
|           | Maharashtra             |                      |        |        | 78     | -      | 13     | 27     | 85      |        |        |        |         |        |
| 32.       | Maharashtra             | Navi Mumbai          | 18     | 42     | 125    | -      | 19     | 46     | 118     | -      | 22     | 45     | 105     | -      |
| 33.       | Bihar                   | Patna                | 4      | 41     | 204    | -      | 4      | 32     | 212     | -      | 5      | 39     | 156     | -      |
| 34.       | Maharashtra             | PimpriChinchwad      | 23     | 52     | 102    | -      | 32     | 71     | 105 107 | - -    | 23 21  | 61     | 82      | -      |
| 35.       | Maharashtra             | Pune                 | 23     | 62     | 99     | -      | 28     | 78     |         |        |        | 65     | 102     | -      |
| 36.       | Chattisgarh             | Raipur               | 13     | 36     | 188    | -      | 12     | 31     | 148     | -      | 10     | 27     | 103     | -      |
|           | Gujarat                 | Rajkot               | 13     | 19     | 83     | 30     | 13     | 21     | 92      | 32     | 16     | 22     | 106     | 37     |
| 37. 38.   | Jharkhand               | Ranchi               | 19     | 36     | 220    | -      | 20     | 37     | 196     | -      | 19     | 37     | 142     | -      |
| 39.       | Jammu& Kashmir          | Shrinagar            | @      | @      | @      | @      | @      | @      | @       | @      | @      | @      | @       | @      |
| 40.       | Gujarat                 | Surat                | 14     | 20     | 89     | 31     | 13     | 22     | 92      | 31     | 16     | 26     | 106     | 36     |
| 41.       | Maharashtra             | Thane                | 28     | 58     | 117    | -      | 18     | 60     | 122     | -      | 18     | 47     | 125     | -      |
| 42.       | Gujarat                 | Vadodara             | 14     | 20     | 87     | 33     | 14     | 23     | 92      | 30     | 16     | 23     | 108     | 36     |
| 43.       | Uttar Pradesh           | Varanasi             | 19     | 33     | 145    | -      | 11     | 32     | 256     | -      | 10     | 38 NA  | 244     | - NA   |
| 44.       | Maharashtra             | Vasai-virar          | NA     | NA     | NA     | NA     | NA     | NA     | NA      | NA     | NA     |        | NA      |        |
| 45.       | Andhra Pradesh          | Vijaywada            | 6      | 37     | 110    | -      | 6      | 44     | 102     | -      | 6      | 29     | 99      | -      |
| 46.       | Andhra Pradesh          | Vishakhapatnam       | 9      | 19     | 61     | -      | 8      | 18     | 77      | -      | 9      | 17     | 73      | -      |

NB. NA- no monitoring station in the city, @ -monitoring station sanctioned but not yet operational, '-' data not received, National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for Residential, Industrial, Rural and others Areas (Annual average) for SO2 = 50 µg/m 3 , NO2 = 40 µg/m 3 , PM10 = 60 µg/m 3 & PM2.5 = 40 µg/m 3 and SO2 = 20 µg/m 3 , NO2 = 30 µg/m 3 , PM10 = 60 µg/m 3 and PM2.5 = 40 µg/m 3 for Ecologically sensitive area . The data furnished in the table for year 2017 is as available on date.

## Annexure