Lok Sabha Question No. 3491 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-08
Subject: Commission for Air Quality Management
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Sanjay Sadashivrao Mandlik, Ravi Kishan Shukla, Manoj Kumar Tiwari, Ravindra Kushawaha, Shrirang Appa Barne, Sambhajirao Mane Dhairyasheel, Sudheer Gupta, Prataprao  Jadhav, Bidyut Baran Mahato

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 3491

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 08.08.2022

## Commission for Air Quality Management

## 3491.  SHRI SANJAY SADASHIVRAO MANDLIK:

SHRI RAVI KISHAN:

SHRI MANOJ TIWARI:

SHRI RAVINDRA KUSHWAHA:

SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAOMANE:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

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

- (a) whether  the  Commission  for  Air  Quality  Management  (CAQM)  has  started  the  new Graded Response Action Plan recently;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the salient features of the said CAQM;
- (c) whether  the  scientists  has  developed  a  Decision  Support  System  (DSS)  used  by  the Central Pollution Control Board on pilot basis to provide air quality forecasts for Delhi;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the salient features of the said DSS;
- (e) whether the Government is working on a comprehensive action plan aimed at year long action  to  prevent  high  level  of  pollution  in  Delhi  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the progress made in this regard; and
- (f) whether the Government is preparing any policy to mandate the planting of trees in urban cities in and around residential areas and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) & (b)

The  Commission  for  Air  Quality  Management  (CAQM)has  comprehensively  revisited  the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), also with a view to invoke the identified measures in advance,  based  on  a  predictive  AQI  forecast.  Salient  features  of  the  revised  GRAP  are  as given as Annexure-I.

(c)& (d) The Commission for Air Quality Management has set up a committee comprising of experts from reputed institutions like IMD, IITM, IIT Delhi, TERI, NEERI and C- DAC Pune, which has developed a Decision support system (DSS) for facilitating early warning and informed actions.

The DSS shall provide early warning and air quality forecasts for Delhi and NCR. CAQM shall take informed decisions on critical issues related to the ambient air quality management in NCR and adjoining areas with the help of an early warning system and ensuring air quality emergency response.

(e) & (f) The  Government  in  coordination  with  CAQM,  has  finalized  a  policy  to  curb  air  pollution menace  occurring  every  year  in  Delhi  and  National  Capital  Region.  The  Policy  contains sector wise recommendations to prevent, control and abate air pollution in the NCR including industries, vehicles/ transport, construction and demolition, dust from roads and open areas, municipal solid waste burning, crop residue burning etc. The policy also deals with thermal power plants, clean fuels & electric mobility, public transportation, road traffic management, diesel  generators,  bursting  of  fire  crackers  and  abating  air  pollution  through  greening  and plantation etc.

The Government has already planned to expand the net of 'Nagar Van' and 'Nagar Vatika', wherever  feasible,  in  urban  agglomerations  and  cities.  Under  central  government  funding, urban local bodies and others can help to establish Nagar Vans in 10-50 hectare of land and vaatikas  in  1-10  ha  land.  Owing  to  space  constraints  in  urban  landscapes,  vertical  gardens along metro rail pillars and other such structures etc. shall also be promoted.

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## Salient features of the revised GRAP are as under:

- The GRAP for NCR has now been classified under four different stages of adverse air quality  in  Delhi,  reflected  through  the  Air  Quality  Index  (AQI) -  Stage  I  -  'Poor' (AQI 201-300); Stage II - 'Very Poor' (AQI 301-400); Stage III - 'Severe' (AQI 401450); Stage IV - 'Severe+' (AQI >450).
- Actions under Stages II, III and IV shall be invoked at least three days in advance of the AQI reaching to the projected levels of that stage, based on the dynamic model and  weather/  meteorological  forecast  to  be  provided  to  the  Commission  by  IMD  / IITM on a day-to-day basis.
- Proposed  restrictions  are  to  be  progressive  from  a  lower  stage  to  higher  stage  i.e., restrictive actions undertaken as per previous stages shall be continued, in addition to the air pollution stage under which the restrictive actions are envisaged to be taken. For example, restrictive actions under the Stage III category, whenever invoked, shall be in addition to those under Stage I and II respectively and so on and so forth.
- The Sub-Committee on GRAP constituted by the Commission shall meet frequently to plan for advance action and issue necessary orders for invoking various provisions of the GRAP, based on the prevalent air quality and the AQI forecast to be provided by IMD from time to time.
- The  Sub-Committee  shall also review the actions taken by various agencies responsible towards effective implementation of the GRAP.