Lok Sabha Question No. 975 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-07
Subject: Pollution in Cities
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Kaushalendra Kumar, Rajiv Ranjan (Lalan) Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION N0. 975

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2020

## Pollution in Cities

## 975. SHRI KAUSHALENDRA KUMAR: SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALANSINGH:

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

- (a) whether India has four of the five most pollutedcities in the world;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  apart  from  air,  rivers  and  agricultural  land  have  become  polluted  due  to excessive use ofchemicals and other waste;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken by the Government to control pollution caused by chemical waste?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) to (e) There is no established mechanism for ranking the cities in terms of pollution as it  requires  a  proper  peer  review.  The  government  is  aware  that  several  private institution and universities, while adapting different methodologies, different data set and giving different weightages to the parameters are ranking the cities. The data used for ranking is extracted primarily from satellite imageries, which are not validated by proper  ground  truthing.  The  Government  has  taken  several  steps  to  combat  air pollution,  water  pollution  and  agricultural  land  pollution  which  inter  alia,  includes 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.), launching of National Air Quality index, leapfrogging from BS - IV to BS - VI fuel standards, notification of Construction and Demolition Waste Management  Rules, Notifications of 6 waste management rules covering solid waste,  plastic  waste,  e  -  waste,  bio  -  medical  waste,  C&D  waste  and  hazardous wastes issued in 2016, banning of burning of biomass, streamlining the issuance of Pollution Under Control Certificate, issuance of directions under Section 18 ( I) (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 online  continuous  (  24  x  7  )  monitoring  devices  by  major  industries,  notification  of Graded Response Action Plan ( GRAP) for Delhi and NCR, Comprehensive Action Plan ( CAP)for air pollution control in Delhi and NCR, formulation of National Clean Air  Programme  (  NCAP),  organization  of  clean  air  campaigns,  etc.  In  reference  to water pollution and chemical pollution, the steps taken by the Government to check

the  pollution  of  water  bodies,  inter  alia,  include  formulation  and  notification  of standards for effluents from industries into land masses / water bodies, operations or processes; enforcing of these standards by State Pollution Control Boards ( SPCBs) / Pollution  Control  Committee  (  PCCs)  through  a  consent  mechanism  to  establish  / operate and regular monitoring; setting up of monitoring network for assessment of water quality; installation of Online Continuous Effluent        Monitoring      Systems ( OCEMS) to check the discharge of effluent directly into water bodies; promotion of cleaner production processes; installation of Common Effluent Treatment Plants for cluster of Small Scale Industrial units; issuance of directions for implementation of Zero Liquid Discharge in certain categories of highly polluting industries; issuance of directions under under Section 5 of Environment ( Protection ) Act, 1986 and under Section 18 (I) (b) of Water ( Prevention and Control of Pollution ) Act, 1974 etc.