Lok Sabha Question No. 1887 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-19
Subject: NCAP
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Abdul Khaleque, V. Kalanidhi

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1887

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.12.2022

## NCAP

## 1887. SHRI ABDUL KHALEQUE: DR. KALANIDHI VEERASWAMY:

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

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any study to assess the levels of air pollution in rural parts of the country and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the Government has assessed the effect of rural sources of Air Pollution such as biomass burning and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether there are currently any monitoring mechanisms to measure Air Pollution in rural parts of the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government intends to include rural areas under NCAP and if so, the details thereof including timeline and budget earmarked for the same;
- (e) the details of reasons for excluding Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as stakeholder under NCAP inspite of adverse health impacts of air pollution; and
- (f) whether there are plans to include Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as stakeholder under NCAP and if so, the details of roles and responsibilities to be assigned to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare upon its inclusion?

## ANSWER

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

## (a), (b), (c), (d), (e) & (f)

Air  quality  monitoring  is  carried  out  in  26  rural  areas  under  National  Air  Quality  Monitoring Programme  (NAMP).  The  air  quality  status  of  these  26  rural  areas  is  enclosed  at AnnexureI. National  Clean  Air  Programme  (NCAP)  launched  by  MoEFCC is  a  long-term,  time-bound, national  level  strategy  for  prevention,  control  and  abatement  of  air  pollution.  At  present,  131 cities are covered under NCAP out of which 123 non-attainment cities were included wherein air quality has not met the national standards for five consecutive years. NCAP strategy document prescribes actionable points pertaining to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for implementation of NCAP objectives. Details of actions are provided at Annexure-II.

***

## Annexure - I

Details of status of air quality in 26 rural areas during the Year 2020

| Sl. No   |                                | Sl.      |                                    |                           | Annual average in µg/m 3   | Annual average in µg/m 3   | Annual average in µg/m 3   |
|----------|--------------------------------|----------|------------------------------------|---------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|
| .        | State                          | No .     | Village                            | District                  | SO 2                       | NO 2                       | PM 10                      |
| 1.       | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman | 1.       | Baldevi (Dadra &Nagar Haveli)      | Dadara& Nagar Haveli      | 12                         | 17                         | 70                         |
| 1.       | &Diu                           | 2.       | Patlara (Daman)                    | Daman                     | 12                         | 18                         | 71                         |
| 2.       | Punjab                         | 3.       | Aligarh (Jagraon)                  | Ludhiana                  | 8                          | 16                         | 76                         |
|          |                                | 4.       | Aspal Khurd (Tapa)                 | Barnala                   | 7                          | 19                         | 106                        |
|          |                                | 5.       | Bara Pind (Goraya)                 | Jalandhar                 | 7                          | 17                         | 87                         |
|          | 6.                             |          | Binjon (Garshankar)                | Hoshiarpur                | 6                          | 15                         | 81                         |
|          |                                | 7.       | Bishanpura (Payal)                 | Ludhiana                  | 8                          | 20                         | 137                        |
|          |                                | 8.       | Changal - Mastuana Sahib (Sangrur) | Sangrur                   | 6                          | 16                         | 99                         |
|          | 9.                             |          | Chowkimann (Jagraon)               | Ludhiana                  | 7                          | 16                         | 182                        |
|          |                                | 10.      | Fatehpur (Samana)                  | Patiala                   | 6                          | 17                         | 91                         |
|          |                                | 11.      | Guru Ki Dhab (Kotkapura)           | Faridkot                  | 4                          | 11                         | 91                         |
|          |                                | 12.      | Jaito Sarja (Batala)               | Gurdaspur                 | 6                          | 14                         | 70                         |
|          |                                | 13.      | Kharaori (Sirhind)                 | Fatehgarh Sahib           | 6                          | 19                         | 92                         |
|          |                                | 14.      | Kotladoom (Ajnala)                 | Amritsar                  | 8                          | 15                         | 111                        |
|          |                                | 15.      | Lakho ke Behram (Ferozpur)         | Ferozpur                  | 4                          | 15                         | 91                         |
|          |                                | 16.      | Mrar Kalan (Muktsar)               | Muktsar                   | -                          | -                          | -                          |
|          |                                | 17.      | Mukandpur (Nawashahar)             | Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar | 7                          | 18                         | 104                        |
|          | 18.                            |          | Mureedke (Batala)                  | Gurdaspur                 | 6                          | 16                         | 85                         |
|          |                                | 19.      | Naudhrani (Malerkotla)             | Sangrur                   | 5                          | 17                         | 95                         |
|          |                                | 20.      | Peer Mohammad (Jalalabad)          | Fazilka                   | 4                          | 11                         | 85                         |
|          | 21.                            |          | Poohli (Bhatinda)                  | Bathinda                  | -                          | -                          | --                         |
|          |                                | 22.      | Qila Bharian (Sangrur)             | Sangrur                   | 5                          | 16                         | 94                         |
|          |                                | 23.      | Rakhra (Patiala)                   | Patiala                   | 6                          | 18                         | 90                         |
|          |                                | 24.      | Rohila (Samrala)                   | Ludhiana                  | 8                          | 17                         | 119                        |
|          | 25.                            |          | Subanpur (Dhilwan)                 | Jalandhar                 |                            |                            |                            |
|          |                                | 26. UTI) | Tirathpur (Amritsar I -            | Amritsar                  | 8                          | 18                         | 128                        |

## Action points for Ministry of Health and Family Welfare under NCAP

- i. Study on the national environmental health profile.
- ii. Response study and cohort study programme.
- iii. Ensuring a regular health profile or database for assisting decision making.
- iv. Framework for a monthly analysis of data with respect to health comprising daily AQI, PM2.5  and  PM10  measurements  (24  hours  average);  metrological  parameters;  deaths  due  to heart attack, strokes, respiratory arrest following the existing respiratory ailments, trends in lung cancer if available with respect to all cities.
- v. Awareness and orientation workshops for wide dissemination of information.
- vi. Training  researchers  in  study  design  through  holding  workshops  in  epidemiology, toxicology, and biostatistics.
- vii. Studies on health and economic impact of air pollution.