Lok Sabha Question No. 1006 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-07
Subject: Pollution during Winter Season
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Dibyendu Adhikari

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

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION N0. 1006

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2020

## Pollution during Winter Season

## 1006.  SHRI DIBYENDU ADHIKARI:

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

- (a) whether the pollution level in various cities of North India intensifies during the winter season;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether  most  of  the  cities  in  the  current  year  have  recorded  highest  ever  AQI between last week of October and mid January;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  tackle  pollution  under  control  and  bring down the particulate matter level in the next consecutive three months?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to d) The  air  pollution  levels  generally intensify  in  the  winter  season  due  to  poor meteorological conditions such as lower wind speed and lower temperature resulting in temperature inversion. Further, burning of crop residue in the northern states also contributes  to  the  air  pollution.  The  AQI  status  of  46  representative  cities  in  North India States during winter months (October 2019 to January 2020) is at Annexure. 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  182  in  2019  as  compared  to  108  in 2016.
- (e) The  Government  has  taken  several  steps  to  combat  air  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,  bio-medical  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,

## AQI Status of cities in North India States during winter months (October - January)

|      |               | Good Days Good/ Satisfactory/ Moderate   | Bad days Poor/ Very Poor/ Severe   | Good Days Good/ Satisfactory/ Moderate   | Bad days Poor/ Very Poor/ Severe   | Good Days Good/ Satisfactory/ Moderate   | Bad days Poor/ Very Poor/ Severe   | Good Days Good/ Satisfactory/ Moderate   | Bad days Poor/ Very Poor/ Severe   |
|------|---------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| S.NO | City          | Oct-19                                   | Oct-19                             | Nov-19                                   | Nov-19                             | Dec-19                                   | Dec-19                             | Jan-20                                   | Jan-20                             |
| 1    | Agra          | 28                                       | 2                                  | 17                                       | 12                                 | 20                                       | 3                                  | 10                                       | 17                                 |
| 2    | Baghpat       | 10                                       | 20                                 | 6                                        | 18                                 | 5                                        | 25                                 | 3                                        | 7                                  |
| 3    | Bulandshahr   | 11                                       | 10                                 | 5                                        | 16                                 | 2                                        | 21                                 | 4                                        | 22                                 |
| 4    | Ghaziabad     | 10                                       | 21                                 | 3                                        | 26                                 | 1                                        | 30                                 | 1                                        | 29                                 |
| 5    | GreaterNoida  | 9                                        | 22                                 | 3                                        | 26                                 | 1                                        | 30                                 | 4                                        | 27                                 |
| 6    | Hapur         | 17                                       | 13                                 | 10                                       | 20                                 | 13                                       | 17                                 | 24                                       | 3                                  |
| 7    | Kanpur        | 14                                       | 8                                  | 2                                        | 26                                 | 4                                        | 22                                 | 7                                        | 24                                 |
| 8    | Lucknow       | 18                                       | 13                                 | 3                                        | 26                                 | 5                                        | 26                                 | 8                                        | 23                                 |
| 9    | Meerut        | 4                                        | 20                                 | 9                                        | 21                                 | 6                                        | 25                                 | 11                                       | 20                                 |
| 10   | Moradabad     | 10                                       | 18                                 | 7                                        | 23                                 | 0                                        | 16                                 | 1                                        | 12                                 |
| 11   | Muzaffarnagar | 9                                        | 21                                 | 0                                        | 0                                  | 2                                        | 29                                 | 4                                        | 7                                  |
| 12   | Noida         | 11                                       | 20                                 | 3                                        | 27                                 | 1                                        | 30                                 | 3                                        | 28                                 |
| 13   | Varanasi      | 16                                       | 14                                 | 2                                        | 25                                 | 3                                        | 20                                 | 8                                        | 20                                 |
| 14   | Ambala        | 18                                       | 13                                 | 14                                       | 16                                 | 14                                       | 17                                 | 21                                       | 10                                 |
| 15   | Bahadurgarh   | 20                                       | 11                                 | 10                                       | 20                                 | 12                                       | 19                                 | 26                                       | 5                                  |
| 16   | Ballabgarh    | 18                                       | 12                                 | 10                                       | 20                                 | 4                                        | 25                                 | 3                                        | 24                                 |
| 17   | Bhiwani       | 23                                       | 5                                  | 11                                       | 17                                 | 9                                        | 22                                 | 21                                       | 8                                  |

Annexure

|   18 | Dharuhera       | 11   | 17   |   10 |   18 |   8 |   19 |   18 |   9 |
|------|-----------------|------|------|------|------|-----|------|------|-----|
|   19 | Faridabad       | 6 19 |      |    6 |   22 |   2 |   22 |    5 |  26 |
|   20 | Fatehabad       | 27   | 4    |   18 |   12 |  29 |    2 |   30 |   0 |
|   21 | Gurugram        | 15   | 15   |   10 |   20 |  10 |   21 |   16 |  15 |
|   22 | Hisar           | 11   | 19   |   10 |   20 |   5 |   23 |   17 |  12 |
|   23 | Jind            | 12   | 18   |    6 |   24 |   4 |   27 |   19 |  12 |
|   24 | Kaithal         | 21   | 10   |   16 |   14 |  20 |   11 |   29 |   1 |
|   25 | Karnal          | 8    | 22   |   11 |   18 |   6 |   23 |   18 |  12 |
|   26 | Kurukshetra     | 16   | 15   |   13 |   17 |   5 |   24 |   18 |  13 |
|   27 | Mandikhera      | 25   | 6    |   15 |   13 |  10 |   17 |   21 |   8 |
|   28 | Manesar         | 16   | 15   |    8 |   20 |  12 |   17 |   22 |   6 |
|   29 | Narnaul         | 19   | 10   |   13 |   13 |  28 |    0 |   15 |   8 |
|   30 | Palwal          | 13   | 14   |    8 |   19 |   6 |   23 |    5 |  11 |
|   31 | Panchkula       | 25   | 6    |   29 |    1 |  29 |    2 |   31 |   0 |
|   32 | Panipat         | 8    | 20   |    8 |   22 |   5 |   26 |   12 |  18 |
|   33 | Rohtak          | 17   | 12   |   11 |   19 |   6 |   24 |   20 |  11 |
|   34 | Sirsa           | 10   | 20   |   15 |   12 |  26 |    5 |   29 |   0 |
|   35 | Sonipat         | 16   | 8    |   12 |   13 |  21 |    6 |   23 |   7 |
|   36 | Yamunanagar     | 6    | 25   |    8 |   21 |   8 |   22 |   15 |  14 |
|   37 | Amritsar        | 22   | 7    |   15 |   13 |  23 |    6 |   29 |   2 |
|   38 | Bathinda        | 27   | 3    |   20 |   10 |  21 |    8 |   28 |   2 |
|   39 | Jalandhar       | 24   | 7    |   16 |   13 |  26 |    5 |   27 |   3 |
|   40 | Khanna          | 27   | 4    |   18 |   10 |  25 |    6 |   25 |   3 |
|   41 | Ludhiana        | 21   | 10   |   18 |   12 |  22 |    7 |   28 |   0 |
|   42 | MandiGobindgarh | 25   | 6    |   11 |   16 |  10 |   16 |   14 |  13 |
|   43 | Patiala         | 25   | 6    |   19 |   11 |  24 |    7 |   31 |   0 |
|   44 | Rupnagar        | 28   | 2    |   12 |   13 |  28 |    2 |   27 |   2 |
|   45 | Delhi           | 10   | 20   |    4 |   26 |   3 |   28 |    3 |  28 |
|   46 | Chandigarh      | 25   | 6    |   18 |   12 |  25 |    5 |   31 |   0 |