Lok Sabha Question No. 1916 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-29
Subject: National Clean Air Programme
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Gurjeet Singh Aujla

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

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION N0. 1916

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2019

## National Clean Air Programme

## 1916. SHRI GURJEET SINGH AUJLA:

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

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  monitoring  the  progress  of  the  National  Clean  Air Programme and National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether these programmes have helped in improving air quality as desired; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to  (d) The Central Government launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) as a long-term, time-bound, national level strategy to tackle the air pollution problem across the country in a comprehensive manner with targets to achieve 20 % to 30 % reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by 2024 keeping 2017 as the base year for the comparison of  concentration.  102  non-attainment  cities  have  been  identified  based  on  ambient  air quality  data  for  the  period  2011  -  2015  and  WHO  report  2014/2018.  The  city  specific Action Plans have been approved for ground implementation for all 102 non-attainment cities.

Out of 102 non-attainment cities identified under NCAP, Ministry of Environment, Forest  &  Climate  Change  is  funding  ₹10  Crores  in  the  current  year  for  28  cities  with million  plus  population  and  PM10>90µg/m³.  For  the  remaining  non-attainment  cities, funds of ₹10 lakhs per city for cities with population less than 5 lakhs and ₹ 20 lakhs per city, for cities with a population of 5 to10 lakhs are allocated.

Under National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) there are 793 Manual stations  covering  344  cities/towns  across  the  country.  Number  of  ambient  air  quality stations increased from 590 during 2014 to 793 stations in 2019.

The  Central  Government  has  taken  several  measures  for  prevention,  control  and abatement of air pollution across the country which inter alia includesincrease of monitoring network for assessment of ambient air quality, notification of National Ambient Air Quality Standards,  Launch  of  National  Air  Quality  Index,  Implementation  of  Air  Quality  Early Warning System etc. All these measures helped in the improvement of overall air quality in the country.Further,On the analysis of last five-year ambient air quality data (2014-2018), across the country, it is observed 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.

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