Lok Sabha Question No. 1063 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-22
Subject: Air Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Nihal Chand Chauhan, Sunil Kumar Singh, Pradyut Bordoloi, Jyotsna Charandas Mahant, Nama Nageswara Rao, Bheemrao Baswanthrao Patil

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

## LOK SABHA

## UN-STARRED QUESTION N0. 1063

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.11.2019

## Air pollution

## 1063. SHRI NIHAL CHAND:

SHRI SUNIL KUMAR SINGH:

SHRI PRADYUT BORDOLOI:

SHRIMATI JYOTSNA CHARANDAS MAHANT:

SHRI NAMA NAGESWARA RAO:

SHRI B.B.PATIL:

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

- (a) whether air quality in various cities across the country including Delhi and National Capital Region has deteriorated to the level of 'severe plus' and if so, the State/UTwise details thereof along with the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the Union Government has issued any instructions to the State Governments to curb the increasing pollution and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether any emission criteria has been fixed by the Government to curb air pollution and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to implement  the traffic  rationing  scheme  'OddEven' on a permanent basis to overcome air pollution and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  impose  complete  ban  on  making  and  sale  of firecrackers across the country and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether the Government has a systematic and scientifically designed implementation procedure to control air pollution in the country, particularly metropolitan cities and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) In reference to the overall air quality status of Delhi (2018-2019), there has been an overall improvement in air quality of Delhi in 2019 (from January 2019 upto 2nd of November 2019) as  compared to  that  of  2018.    It  is  submitted  that  the  number  of 'Good to 'Moderate' days has increased to 175 in 2019 as compared to 157 in 2018. Correspondingly,  the  number  of  'Poor'  to  'Severe'  days  has  reduced  to  131  as compared  to  149  in  2018.    CPCB  identified  122  cities  as  Non-attainment  cities including Delhi and NCR based on air quality levels exceeding National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) from 2014-2018.
- (b) Directions under Section 31A of The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 have been issued to States for ground implementation of approved city action plan for the non-attainment cities.
- (c) MoEF&CC  has  developed  around  63  industry-specific  emission  standards.  Ten emission  standards  (diesel  and  LPG/CNG  gensets;  petrol  and  LPG/CNG  gensets; dedicated  LPG/CNG  gensets;  industrial  boiler;  SO2  and  NOx  standards  for  glass, lime kiln, reheating furnaces, foundry, ceramic industry, and airport noise) have been evolved  and  six  emission  standards  (thermal  power  plant,  sugar,  man-made  fibres, fertilizer, cement, and brick kiln) have been revised. Further, National Ambient Air Quality  Standards  were  notified  on  November  2009  and  prescribed  12  parameters, namely, PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, CO, NH3, Ozone, Lead, Benzene, Benzo-a Pyrene, Arsenic and Nickel.
- (d) Odd-even  scheme  with  minimum  exemption  has  been  listed  as  an  emergency (severe+) measure in Graded Response Action Plan, notified on January 12, 2017.
- (e) The manufacture, sale or use of fire-crackers exceeding the noise level as prescribed in  the  Noise  Rules,  2000  is  prohibited  and  is  required  to  comply  with  safety regulations  prescribed  by Petroleum  and  Explosives  Safety  Organisation  (PESO). Government's  policy  is  aimed  to  regulate  making  and  use  of  fire  crackers  in  the country  based  on  latest  scientific  evidence.  Government  through  CSIR-NEERI  has promoted  development  of  eco-friendly  firecrackers  or  green  firecrackers  with  2030%  reduction  in  pollution. Fireworks  industry  licensed  by  PESO  have  started manufacture and sale of such firecrackers.
- (f) Government has systematic and scientifically designed implementation procedure to control  air  pollution  in  the  country.    Further,  the  Government  has  already  taken several  measures  for  prevention,  control  and  abatement  of  air  pollution  across  the country.  These 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.
-  City specific action plan for all 102 non-attainment cities under NCAP have been prepared and approved for implementation.
-  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,  resuspension 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 1 st April,  2018  in  NCT  of Delhi and from by 1 st April, 2020 in rest of the country.
-  Introduction  of  cleaner/alternate  fuels  like  gaseous  fuel  (CNG,  LPG  etc.),  ethanol blending.
-  Use of RFID tags have been made mandatory for commercial vehicles entering Delhi.
-  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 15 th October, 2018.
-  All  operational  brick  kilns  (about  2600) have  been  shifted  to  zig-zag  technology  in Delhi and NCR.
-  Installation  of  on-line  continuous  (24x7)  monitoring  devices  for  all  red  category industries in Delhi and NCR.
-  Out of 4700 industrial units in Delhi-NCR about 2400 units have shifted to PNG.
-  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 insitu 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.
-  Notifications  of  6  waste  management  rules  covering  solid  waste,  plastic  waste,  ewaste, bio-medical waste, C&D waste and hazardous wastes issued in 2016.

## Dust

-  Notifications  regarding  dust  mitigation  measures  for  construction  and  demolition activities.
-  Advisory issued to implementing agencies and State Boards in Delhi NCR regarding use of dust suppressant.

## Public Outreach

-  Ministry is promoting people's participation and awareness building among citizens for environmental conservation through Green Good 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.

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