Lok Sabha Question No. 4025 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-04
Subject: Deaths due to Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Nagendra Pratap Singh Patel

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4025

TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.01.2019

## Deaths due to Pollution

## 4025. SHRI NAGENDRA PRATAP SINGH PATEL:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that every eighth person is dying in the country due to pollution and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether 12.4 lakh people have died in the country due to air pollution till year 2017;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government to check pollution in the country;
- (d) the number of people affected due to pollution in Uttar Pradesh; and
- (e) whether any accountability of officers failing to check rising air pollution in the country has been fixed and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b) There is no conclusive data available in the country to establish direct correlation of death/disease exclusively due to air pollution. Air pollution is one of the triggering factors for respiratory  ailments  and  associated  diseases.  Health  effects  of  air  pollution  are  synergistic manifestation  of  factors  which  include  food  habits,  occupational  habits,  socioeconomic status, medical history, immunity, heredity, etc., of the individuals.
- (c) The Government has however, taken several steps to address air pollution, which inter alia include  notification  of  National  Ambient  Air  Quality  Standards;  revision  of  emission standards  for  industrial  sectors  from  time  to  time;  setting  up  of  monitoring  network  for assessment of ambient air quality; introduction of cleaner / alternate fuels like gaseous fuel (CNG, LPG etc.), ethanol blending, launching of National Air Quality index; leapfrogging from  BS-IV  to  BS-VI  fuel  standards;  notification  of  Construction  and  Demolition  Waste Management Rules; banning of burning of biomass;  streamlining the issuance of Pollution Under Control Certificate;  issuance of directions under Section 18(1)(b) of Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986  for  controlling  air  pollution;  installation  of  on-line  continuous  (24x7)  monitoring devices  by  major  industries;  notification  of  Graded  Response  Action  Plan  for  Delhi  and NCR; comprehensive action plan for air pollution control in Delhi and NCR.

(d) Also,  there  are  no  conclusive  data  available  for  the  State  of  Uttar  Pradesh  to  establish direct correlation of people affected exclusively due to air pollution.  However,  the Government  has  formulated  National  Clean  Air  Programme  (NCAP)  as  a  long  term  time bound pan India strategy to tackle the increasing air pollution problem across the country in a comprehensive  manner.  Hundred  (100)  non-attainment  cities,  including  15  cities  of  Uttar Pradesh namely, Agra, Allahabad, Anpara, Bareilly, Firozabad, Gajraula, Ghaziabad, Jhansi, Kanpur, Khurja, Lucknow, Muradabad, Noida, Raebareliand Varanasi have been selected for formulation and implementation of city specific action plan under NCAP.

(e)  The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981; Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 have sufficient provisions to control, abate and take punitive action against any offences.

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