Lok Sabha Question No. 3068 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-06
Subject: Challenges of Pollution and Environment
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Malook Nagar

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3068 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2019

## Challenges of Pollution and Environment

## 3068. SHRI MALOOK NAGAR:

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

- (a) whether India is presently facing challenges of pollution and environment;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the steps being taken by the Government to promote the use of solar energy to check pollution;
- (c) whether  provision  for  subsidy  to  buyers  has  been  made  to  promote  use  of  battery driven cars;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)   the funds spent by the Government on symposia, conferences and advertisements, etc. to check pollution during the last three years?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b) Pollution is a serious environmental concern in the country. Government is making all efforts for the mitigation of pollution in the country.

Central  Government  has  taken  a  number  of  regulatory  measures  for  prevention, control and abatement of air pollution in the country. A Comprehensive Air Plan (CAP) for Delhi NCR has been developed identifying the timelines and implementing agencies for actions delineated. The Central Government has notified a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for Delhi and NCR for different levels of pollution. The nature, scope and rigor of measures to be taken are linked to levels of pollution viz. severe + or emergency, severe, very poor, moderate to poor and moderate, after due consideration by authorities concerned. Also, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched National Clean Air  Programme  (NCAP) in  January  2019  to  tackle  the  problem  of  air  pollution  in  a comprehensive manner with targets to achieve 20 to 30 % reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by 2024 keeping 2017 as base year.  The plan includes 102 non-attainment cities, across 23 States and Union Territories, on the basis of their ambient air quality data between 2011 and 2015.

There is an overall improvement in air quality of Delhi in 2019, as per Continuous Ambient  Air  Quality  Monitoring  Stations  (CAAQMS)  data  in  the  period  1st  Jan  -  26th November in comparison to 2016. The number of 'Good' to 'Moderate' days has increased to 175 in 2019 in comparison to 108 days in 2016. Also, in Delhi, the average annual PM2.5 concentration has reduced in 2018 by 7.3% over 2017 and 14.8% over 2016 and the average annual PM10 concentration has reduced in 2018 by 8.6% over 2017 and 16.5% over 2016.

With regard to prevention and control of water pollution, several measures have been taken. These include-

-  Directions have been issued under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 regarding 'Treatment and Utilization of Sewage for Restoration of Water Quality of River' to Municipal Corporations of 46 Metropolitan cities and 20 State Capitals.
-  Directions have been issued under Section18 (1) (b) of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 to SPCBs/PCCs regarding treatment & utilization of sewage.
-  The continuous water quality monitoring systems, Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring Systems (OCEMS), have been installed in industrial units in the country for getting real time information on the effluent quality to identify and take action against non-complying units.
-  Setting up of monitoring network for assessment of water quality. 40% increase (2500 to 3500)  in  manual  and  360%  (10-46)  increase  in  Real  Time  Water  Quality  Monitoring stations during the last five years.
-  Stipulation of  general discharge  standards  and  industry  specific effluent  discharge standards  under  Environment  (Protection) Rules,  1986  so  as  to  prevent  pollution  of  the water bodies.
-  Indicative guidelines for restoration of water  bodies  issued  as a guidance  to  the stakeholders for ensuring restoration/ rejuvenation of 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.

Government has targeted installing renewable energy capacity of 175 GW by the year 2022 which includes 100 GW of solar energy against which a cumulative capacity of 83.38 GW have been achieved till 31 st Oct 2019.

- (c) & (d) Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME -2) scheme has been  rolled  out  with  an  outlay  of  Rs  10,000  crore  for  3  years  from  1 st April,  2019  to encourage faster adoption of electric and hybrid vehicle by way of offering upfront incentive on purchase of electric vehicles and also by establishing the necessary charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.
- (e)   Government has organized a number of symposia, conferences etc. with participation of all  relevant  stakeholders  including  civil  society  organisations  to  create  mass  awareness, sensatisation and advocacy to check pollution.

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