Lok Sabha Question No. 100 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-21
Subject: Pollution in Cities
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Feroze Varun Gandhi

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

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION N0. 100

TO BE ANSWERED ON 21.06.2019

## Pollution in Cities

## 100. SHRI FEROZE VARUN GANDHI:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the WHO report that states that 14 of the most polluted 20 cities of the world are in India;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to improve the situation; and
- (d) the steps the Government is taking or planning to take to promote the production and consumption of green crackers for Diwali 2019, as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court?

## ANSWER MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

- (a) to (c) The World Health Organization (WHO) released the WHO Global Ambient Air Quality  Database  (update  2018)  which  consists  of  mainly  annual  means  for  PM10 and/or  PM2.5,  covering  more  than  4000  human  settlements  in  108  countries  for  the years  from  2010  to  2016.  WHO does not rank  countries /  cities  on  the  basis  of  air pollution data. However, arranging WHO database, as on date, for measures PM2.5 in descending order, 13 citiesof India namely Kanpur, Faridabad, Gaya, Varanasi, Patna, Delhi,  Lucknow,  Agra,  Gurgaon,  Muzaffarpur,  Jaipur,  Patiala  &  Jodhpur  has  been listed.

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. 102 non-attainment cities have been selected for formulation and implementation of city specific action plan under NCAP.

The  several  other  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  improve  the  air quality, inter alia, include following:

## Plans and Directions

-  Comprehensive Action Plan (CAP) identifying timelines and implementing  agency  for  actions  identified  for  prevention,  control  and mitigation of air pollution in Delhi and NCR has been notified.
-  National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) under the Central Sector 'Control of Pollution' Scheme as a time bound national level strategy to tackle air pollution  problem  across  the  country in  comprehensive  manner  has  been launched.
-  102  non-attainment  cities  for  formulation  and  implementation  of  city specific action plan under NCAP have been identified.
-  Graded Response Action Plan for different levels of air pollution in Delhi and NCR has been notified.
-  A comprehensive set of directions have been issued under section 18 (1) (b) of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1986 for implementation of 42/31 measures to mitigate air pollution in major cities including  Delhi  and  NCR  cities  comprising  of  control  and  mitigation measures  related  to  vehicular  emissions,  re-suspension  of  road  dust  and other fugitive emissions, bio-mass/municipal solid waste burning, industrial  pollution,  construction  and  demolition  activities,  and  other general steps.

## Monitoring

-  Setting up of monitoring network for assessment of ambient air quality.

## Notification of National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

-  Launch of National Air Quality Index.
-  Implementation  of  Air  Quality  Early  Warning  System  for  Delhi  in October, 2018 in association with Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).

## Transport

-  Leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards since 1st April, 2018 in NCT of Delhi and from by 1st April, 2020 in the rest of the country.
-  Introduction of cleaner / alternate fuels like gaseous fuel (CNG, LPG etc.), ethanol blending.
-  Promotion of public transport and improvements in roads and building of more bridges to ease congestion on roads.
-  Operationalisation of Eastern Peripheral Expressway & Western Peripheral Expressway to divert non-destined traffic from Delhi.
-  Streamlining the issuance of Pollution Under Control Certificate.

## Industry

-  Badarpur thermal power plant has been closed from 15th October, 2018.
-  All brick kilns have been shifted to zig-zag technology in Delhi and NCR.
-  Installation of on-line continuous  (24x7)  monitoring  devices  all  red category industries in  Delhi and NCR.
-  Revision of emission standards for industrial sectors from time to time.

## Biomass and Solid Waste

-  A new Central Sector Scheme on 'Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization  for  in-situ  management  of  Crop  Residue  in  the  States  of Punjab,  Haryana,  Uttar  Pradesh  and  NCT  of  Delhi'  for  the  period  from 2018-19 and 2019-20 has been launched.
-  Banning of burning of biomass.
-  3 Waste-to-Energy (W-t-E) plants are currently operational in Delhi with atotal capacity of 5100 Tonnes Per Day(TPD).
-  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.

## Dust

-  Notifications  regarding  dust  mitigation  measures  for  construction  and demolition activities.
-  Number  of  mechanised  road  sweeping  machines  has  been  increased significantly and presently 60 machines are deployed for cleaning of roads in Delhi.

## Public Outreach

-  Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and Delhi Government launched Clean Air for Delhi Campaign from 10th - 23rd Feb 2018  and  to  check  air  polluting  activities  pre  and  post  Diwali, a  special campaign  called  'Clean  Air  Campaign'  during  November  01,  2018  to November 10, 2018.
-  Ministry is  promoting  peoples  participation  and  awareness  building among  citizens  for  environmental  conservation  through  Green  Goods Deeds  that  focus  on  promotion  of  cycling,  saving  water  and  electricity, growing trees, proper maintenance of vehicles, following of lane discipline and reducing congestion on roads by car pooling etc.
-  Development of mechanism for redressal of public complaints regarding air pollution issues in Delhi and NCR (through 'Sameer App', 'Emails'(aircomplaints.cpcb@gov.in) and 'Social Media Networks' (Facebook and Twitter)  etc.
- (d) With an objective to control air pollution due to bursting of firecrackers a consortium of  CSIR  laboratories  is  engaged  in  study  to  modify  the  constituents  (chemical combination)  of  firecrackers  with  reduced  potential  source  of  particulate  matters (PM10  and  PM2.5)  at  least  by  20-30%.Green  firecrackers  were  demonstrated  to firework  manufacturers,  Petroleum  &  Explosive  Safety  Organization  and  Central Pollution Control Board at CSIR-NEERI. Further PESO have accorded approvals to the firework manufacturers for manufacturing green cracker composition. Fireworks industry  licensed  by  PESO  have  already  started  manufacture  of  fireworks  with  the new compositions.

***