Lok Sabha Question No. 1166 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-06-28
Subject: Poor Air Quality
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Bhagwanth Khuba

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1166

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.06.2019

## Poor Air Quality

## 1166.  SHRI BHAGWANTH KHUBA

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that citizen are subjected to poor air quality and are inhailing very hazardous levels of polluted air in many metropolitan cities;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has proposed to take various measures to stop construction work and phase out old vehicles from plying on the roads to reduce the effects of pollution; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b) Air pollution has emerged as a serious environmental concern in the country. The ambient air quality data for metropolitan cities / million plus urban agglomerations during 2016- 2018 is given  in Annexure-I .  Analysis  of  data  revealed  that  SO2  levels  were  within  the  National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in all 50 cities during 2016-18. With respect to NO2, 17  cities  showed  an  increasing  trend,  16  cities  showed  a  decreasing  concentration,  16  cities showed  a  fluctuating  trend  and  1  city  revealed  steady  concentration.  With  respect  to  PM2.5, trends are available for 17 cities and out of which, 08 cities showed an increasing trend, 04 cities showed a decreasing concentration, 05 cities showed a fluctuating trend. With respect to PM10, 14  cities  showed  an  increasing  trend,  14  cities  showed  a  decreasing  concentration,  22  cities showed a fluctuating trend.

(c) & (d ) The Central Government has issued notification regarding 'Mandatory Implementation of Dust Mitigation Measures for Construction and Demolition Activities for projects requiring Environmental Clearance (EC)'  and 'Mandatory Implementation of Dust Mitigation Measures for  all  Construction  and  Demolition  Activities'  in  January,  2018.  Central  Pollution  Control Board has also issue guidelines on dust mitigation measures in handling construction material and  construction  and  demolition  waste.    Regulatory  bodies  and  enforcement  agencies  have  to ensure the compliance of dust mitigation measures related to the construction activities. They are empowered  to  issue  show  cause,  levy  fines  and  even  direct  stopping  of  work  in  case  of violations.  Under Graded Response Action Plan, the Task Force constituted for implementation of various graded measures may decide for ban on construction based on Air Quality Index being in severe+ category.

With regard to phasing out of old vehicles from plying on roads to reduce effects of pollution, Hon'ble Supreme Court has directed that 10-year-old diesel vehicles and all 15-year-old petrol vehicles  shall  not  ply  in  Delhi  and  NCR.  Also,  various  measures  have  been  taken  to  reduce vehicular emissions which are as under

-  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.
-  Environment Protection Charges (EPC) have been imposed on diesel vehicles with engine capacity of 2000cc and above in Delhi NCR.

*****

## Annexure-I Air quality status of million plus/ urban agglomerations cities for 2016, 2017 and 2018 under NAMP (Manual)

(Annual average in µg/m 3 )

| Sl   | State            | Sl   |                     | 2016   | 2016   | 2016   | 2016   | 2017   | 2017   | 2017   | 2017   | 2018   | 2018   | 2018   | 2018   |
|------|------------------|------|---------------------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|
| .N o | State            | .N o | City                | SO 2   | N O 2  | PM     | PM     | SO 2   | N O 2  | PM 10  | PM 2.5 | SO 2   | N O 2  | PM 10  | PM 2.5 |
| 1.   | Andhra Pradesh   | 1.   | Vijaywada           | 6      | 44     | 10 102 | 2.5 -  | 6      | 29     | 99     | -      | 5      | 21     | 77     | 29     |
| 1.   | Andhra Pradesh   | 2.   | Vishakhap atnam     | 8      | 18     | 77     | -      | 9      | 17     | 73     | -      | 10     | 20     | 77     | 49     |
| 2.   | Bihar            | 3.   | Patna               | 4      | 32     | 212    | -      | 5      | 39     | 156    | -      | 5      | 51     | 207    |        |
| 3.   | Chandi garh      | 4.   | Chandigar h         | 2      | 21     | 105    | 123    | 2      | 16     | 109    | 64     | 2      | 17     | 102    | 50     |
| 4.   | Chattis garh     | 5.   | Durg- Bhillainag ar | 9      | 23     | 108    | -      | 8      | 21     | 97     | -      | 8      | 19     | 84     | -      |
| 4.   | Chattis garh     | 6.   | Raipur              | 12     | 31     | 148    |        | 10     | 27     | 103    |        | 14     | 20     | 65     |        |
| 5.   | Delhi            | 7.   | Delhi               | 7      | 66     | 278    | 118    | 7      | 68     | 241    | 106    | 6      | 73     | 223    | 121    |
| 5.   | Delhi            | 8.   | Ahmedaba d          | 14     | 27     | 108    | 34     | 14     | 29     | 120    | 38     | 16     | 29     | 236    | 73     |
| 6.   | Gujarat          | 9.   | Rajkot              | 13     | 21     | 92     | 32     | 16     | 22     | 106    | 37     | 19     | 23     | 203    | 64     |
| 5.   | Delhi            | 10.  | Surat               | 13     | 22     | 92     | 31     | 16     | 26     | 106    | 36     | 22     | 29     | 176    | 57     |
| 5.   | Delhi            | 11.  | Vadodara            | 14     | 23     | 92     | 30     | 16     | 23     | 108    | 36     | 20     | 25     | 188    | 60     |
| 7.   | Haryan a         | 12.  | Faridabad           | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      |
| 8.   | Jammu & Kashmi r | 13.  | Srinagar            | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | -      | 153    | -      |
| 9.   | Jharkha nd       | 14.  | Dhanbad             | 15     | 37     | 226    | -      | 15     | 37     | 238    | -      | 14     | 37     | 264    | -      |
| 9.   | Jharkha nd       | 15.  | Jamshedp ur         | 36     | 45     | 136    | -      | 36     | 45     | 131    | -      | 37     | 46     | 128    | -      |
| 9.   | Jharkha nd       | 16.  | Ranchi              | 20     | 37     | 196    | -      | 19     | 37     | 142    | -      | 18     | 36     | 122    | -      |
| 10.  | Karnata ka       | 17.  | Bangalore           | 3      | 31     | 103    | 51     | 2      | 31     | 92     | 46     | 2      | 30     | 90     | 47     |
| 11.  | Kerala           | 18.  | Kochi               | 2      | 20     | 48     | -      | 2      | 19     | 51     | -      | 3      | 16     | 57     | -      |
| 11.  | Kerala           | 19.  | Kollam              | 4      | 8      | 46     | -      | 3      | 6      | 43     | -      | 3      | 5      | 47     | -      |
| 11.  | Kerala           | 20.  | Kozhikod e          | 2      | 18     | 51     | -      | 2      | 18     | 47     | -      | 2      | 10     | 54     | 6      |
| 11.  | Kerala           | 21.  | Malapura m          | 2      | 17     | 37     | -      | 2      | 21     | 32     | -      | 2      | 26     | 31     | -      |
| 11.  | Kerala           | 22.  | Thiruvana           | 10     |        | 53     | -      | 10     | 26     | 49     | -      | 9      | 24     | 49     | -      |
| 11.  | Kerala           | 23.  | nthapuram Thissur   | 2      | 25 5   | 54     | -      | 2      | 5      | 56     | -      | 3      | 9      | 41     | -      |
| 12.  | Madhy            | 24.  | Bhopal              | 3      | 15     | 89     | 27     | 4      | 15     | 93     | 41     | 7      | 14     | 135    | 59     |

NB. NA- no monitoring station  in  the  city,    '-'  data  not  available,  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 2018 is as available on date.

|     | a Pradesh     |   25. | Gwalior      | 10   | 14   | 96   | 52   | 10   | 17   | 110   | 47   | 13    | 21   | 134   | 62   |
|-----|---------------|-------|--------------|------|------|------|------|------|------|-------|------|-------|------|-------|------|
|     | a Pradesh     |    26 | Indore       | 11   | 20   | 95   | 54   | 11   | 21   | 80    | 43   | 10    | 19   | 88    | 41   |
|     | a Pradesh     |    27 | Jabalpur     | 10   | 23   | 71   | 32   | 10   | 21   | 74    | 23   | 7     | 17   | 119   | 43   |
| 13. | Mahara shtra  |    28 | Aurangab ad  | 14   | 39   | 92   | -    | 10   | 33   | 83    | -    | 13 35 |      | 70    | -    |
| 13. | Mahara shtra  |    29 | Mumbai       | 6    | 30   | 119  | -    | 3    | 18   | 151   | 40   | 2     | 21   | 166   | 46   |
| 13. | Mahara shtra  |    30 | Nagpur       | 16   | 26   | 118  | -    | 9    | 27   | 102   | -    | 10    | 28   | 103   | 44   |
| 13. | Mahara shtra  |    31 | Nashik       | 13   | 27   | 85   | -    | 12   | 22   | 81    | -    | 12    | 21   | 85    | -    |
| 13. | Mahara shtra  |    32 | Pune         | 28   | 78   | 107  | -    | 21   | 65   | 102   | -    | 37    | 75   | 106   | -    |
| 13. | Mahara shtra  |    33 | Thane        | 18   | 60   | 122  | -    | 18   | 47   | 125   | -    | 17    | 44   | 108   | -    |
| 13. | Mahara shtra  |    34 | Vasai- virar | N A  | N A  | NA   | NA   | N A  | N A  | NA    | NA   | N A   | N A  | NA    | NA   |
| 14. | Punjab        |    35 | Amritsar     | 12   | 29   | 194  | -    | 11   | 27   | 168   | -    | 13    | 34   | 177   | -    |
| 14. | Punjab        |    36 | Ludhiana     | 11   | 25   | 139  | -    | 10   | 28   | 162   | -    | 9     | 32   | 162   | -    |
| 15. | Rajasth an    |    37 | Jaipur       | 8    | 33   | 199  | -    | 8    | 30   | 177   | -    | 8     | 32   | 165   | -    |
| 15. | Rajasth an    |    38 | Jodhpur      | 6    | 23   | 168  | -    | 6    | 21   | 180   | -    | 7     | 24   | 223   | -    |
| 15. | Rajasth an    |    39 | Kota         | 7    | 30   | 109  | -    | 8    | 28   | 130   | -    | 7     | 28   | 152   | -    |
| 16. | Tamiln adu    |    40 | Chennai      | 10   | 18   | 65   | 25   | 9    | 17   | 62    | 32   | 9     | 16   | 78    | 34   |
| 16. | Tamiln adu    |    41 | Coimbator e  | 6    | 24   | 59   | 35   | 5    | 26   | 49    | 34   | 6     | 23   | 54    | 32   |
| 16. | Tamiln adu    |    42 | Madurai      | 15   | 24   | 76   | 38   | 14   | 23   | 67    | 30   | 12    | 20   | 84    | 34   |
| 16. | Tamiln adu    |    43 | Trichy       | 12   | 20   | 95   | 27   | 12   | 20   | 86    |      | 17    | 23   | 110   | 53   |
| 17. | Telanga na    |    44 | Hyderaba d   | 5    | 27   | 101  | 49   | 6    | 28   | 108   | 54   | 5     | 30   | 105   | 55   |
| 18. | Uttar Pradesh |    45 | Agra         | 5    | 22   | 198  | -    | 4    | 19   | 185   | 124  | 4     | 22   | 209   | 106  |
| 18. | Uttar Pradesh |    46 | Allahabad    | 4    | 37   | 196  | -    | 4    | 40   | 140   | -    | 4     | 45   | 231   | -    |
| 18. | Uttar Pradesh |    47 | Ghaziabad    | 15   | 28   | 235  | -    | 22   | 34   | 280   | -    | 21    | 43   | 245   | 103  |
| 18. | Uttar Pradesh |    48 | Kanpur       | 7    | 39   | 217  | -    | 7    | 45   | 224   | -    | 7     | 47   | 218   | -    |
| 18. | Uttar Pradesh |    49 | Lucknow      | 8    | 27   | 214  | -    | 8    | 26   | 246   | 102  | 7     | 30   | 217   | 108  |
| 18. | Uttar Pradesh |    50 | Meerut       | 7    | 55   | 157  | -    | 7    | 52   | 153   | -    | 7     | 58   | 177   | -    |
| 18. | Uttar Pradesh |    51 | Varanasi     | 11   | 32   | 256  | -    | 10   | 38   | 244   | -    | 9     | 34   | 189   | -    |
| 19. | West Bengal   |    52 | Asansol      | 13   | 42   | 211  | 88   | 12   | 37   | 163   | 67   | 13    | 35   | 146   | 58   |
| 19. | West Bengal   |    53 | Kolkata      | 4    | 49   | 113  | 70   | 6    | 41   | 120   | 71   | 6     | 44   | 148   | 86   |