Lok Sabha Question No. 827 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-12-14
Subject: National Clean Air Programme
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: RAJEEV SHANKARRAO SATAV, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE, HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL, P.R. SUNDARAM, DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK, JAYAKUMAR JAYAVARDHAN

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION N0. 827

TO BE ANSWERED ON 14.12.2018

## National Clean Air Programme

827. SHRI SATAV RAJEEV:

SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

DR. HEENA VIJAYKUMAR GAVIT:

SHRI MOHITE PATIL VIJAYSINH SHANKARRAO:

SHRI P.R. SUNDARAM:

SHRI DHANANJAY MAHADIK:

DR. J. JAYAVARDHAN:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  formulated  National  Clean  Air  Programme  (NCAP)  as  a long term time bound national level strategy to tackle the increasing air pollution problem across the country in comprehensive manner and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the number of cities that have been selected for implementation of NCAP;
- (c) whether the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has any plan to execute a nationwide programme to curb air pollution and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the status of implementation of the 'graded response action plan' to tackle different levels of pollution in Delhi;
- (e) whether the said action plan is likely to be implemented at the National level, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (f)   whether the CPCB has organised a comprehensive programme through mass media to tackle pollution, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a) to (c) In order to address the increasing air pollution across the country in a comprehensive manner, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has formalized a National Clean Air  Program  (NCAP)  which  is  to  be  executed  by  CPCB  in  coordination  with  Ministry  of Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  Change  as  a  pan  India  time  bound  national  level  strategy  to tackle the increasing air pollution problem across the country in comprehensive manner. Overall objective of the NCAP is City specific air pollution abatement action plan for 102 polluting cities of  the  country,  comprehensive  management  plan  for  prevention,  control  and  abatement  of  air pollution besides augmenting the air quality monitoring network across the country. The main components of NCAP include increasing number of monitoring stations, creation of Technical Assessment  Cell,  technology  support,  public  participation  on  planning  and  implementation, setting up of Air Information Centre for data analysis, resource apportionment studies, setting up of  national  inventory,  guidelines  for  Indoor  Air  Pollution  and  setting  up  of  Rural  Monitoring stations etc.

- (d)  Graded  Response  Action  Plan  (GRAP)  notified  by  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and Climate Change on 12.01.2017 is being implemented by Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) to redress the air pollution problem in Delhi & NCR and directions given by EPCA from time to time are being followed by concerned agencies.

( e ) GRAP is specific for Delhi-NCR and not meant for the country. To address the increasing air pollution across the country in a comprehensive manner, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has formalized a National Clean Air Program (NCAP).

- (f) CPCB  organizes  frequent  media  briefings  to  disseminate  the  appropriate  information  to citizens. A dedicated media corner, twitter and Facebook account has been created by CPCB for access  to  air  quality  related  information  and  to  provide  a  platform  to  the  public  for  lodging complaints.  Further,  SAMEER  app  has  been  launched  wherein  air  quality  information  is available  to  public  along  with  provisions  for  registering  complaints  against  air  polluting activities.

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