Lok Sabha Question No. 3166 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-06
Subject: Environment Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Sanjay Seth

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

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION N0. 3166

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.12.2019

## Environment Pollution

## 3166. SHRI SANJAY SETH:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken note that environmental pollution is on the rise in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is aware that the callous attitude of authorities is one of the main reasons for the said spike in pollution levels and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has put any mechanism in place to fix the accountabilities on the authorities concerned for the irregularities and illegalities committed by them and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to ensure the strict implementation of the rules in this regard specially in Jharkhand?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b) Analysis of last five-year ambient air quality data (2014-2018) indicated 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 175 in 2019 as compared to 108 in 2016.
- (c) CPCB and SPCBs are vested with powers under The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and under the Environment (Protection) Act, , 1986 to issue directions for the closure,  prohibition  or  regulation  of  any  industry,  operation  or  process;  or  stoppage  or regulation  of  the  supply  of  electricity  or  water  or  any  other  service,  for  protection  of  the environment
- (d) Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC)  has launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) as a long-term, time-bound, national level strategy  to  tackle  the  air  pollution  problem  caused  by  various  sources  which  inter-alia includes vehicular emissions, industrial  emission,  dust,  garbage  dumping,  burning  of Municipal waste/industrial waste etc. across the country in a comprehensive manner. Under

NCAP, 102 non-attainment cities including Dhanbad in Jharkhand have been identified based on ambient air quality data for the period 2011 - 2015 and WHO report 2014/2018. Out of 102 non-attainment cities identified under NCAP, for the cities with million plus population and  PM10>90µg/m³,  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  Change  is  funding  ₹10 Crores in the current  year  for  28  such  priority  cities,  including  Dhanbad  in  Jharkhand,  for various  components  that,  inter-alia,  include  Installation  and  commissioning  of  CAAQMS, Creating green buffer zone along the roads, Mechanical street sweeper, Mobile Enforcement Unit, Public awareness and capacity building activities, Water sprinkler.

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