Lok Sabha Question No. 3139 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-08-06
Subject: Black Carbon in Indo-Gangetic Plains
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Hema Malini

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3139

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2021

## Black Carbon in Indo-Gangetic Plains

## 3139.   SHRIMATI HEMA MALINI:

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

- (a)        whether  the  Indo-Gangetic  plain  has  abundance  of  carbon  leading  to  serious implications for the regional climate and human health;
- (b)         if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the government has taken cognizance of the matter and initiated necessary remedial steps in this regard; and
- (d)        if so, the details thereof ?

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

(a) and (b)   Black Carbon (BC) is mainly produced by anthropogenic activities as a result of the  incomplete  combustion  of  fossil  fuels,  biofuels  and  biomass.  As  per  India's  Third Biennial Update Report (February 2021), BC is one of the important light-absorbing aerosol species in the atmosphere which has the potential to affect the regional climate. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is operating a network of aerosol observatories under ISRO Geosphere  Biosphere  Programme.  One  of  the  important  parameters  being  measured from this network is the black carbon mass concentration. The long-term measurements of BC  over  the  Indian  region  from  the  aforesaid  regional  network  of  aerosol  observatories clearly showed a decreasing trend (0.24 µg m -3 year -1 ) in the past decade.

According  to  ISRO,  the  black  carbon  mass  concentrations  are  generally  high  over Indo-Gangetic  Plain,  especially  during  the  dry  winter  season  and  reduce  to  relatively  low values during the summer monsoon season due to the vertical mixing associated with intense convection and removal by wide-spread monsoon rainfall. The high values during the winter are  added  by  the  confinement  of  aerosols  in  the  lower  atmosphere  due  to  the  shallow atmospheric boundary layer and the absence of major aerosol removal process.

(c) and (d) The Government has taken several measures to control BC emissions which inter-alia includes the following:

- (i) Pradhan  Mantri  Ujjwala  Yojana is  promoting  the  use  of  cleaner  household cooking fuels.
- (ii) Leapfrogging  from  BS-IV  to  BS-VI  norms  for  fuel  and  vehicles  from  1 st April, 2020.
- (iii) Network of metro rails for public transport has been enhanced and more cities are covered.
- (iv) Introduction of cleaner / alternate fuels like gaseous fuel (CNG, LPG etc.), ethanol blending.
- (v) A  new  initiative,  'Sustainable  Alternative  Towards  Affordable  Transportation (SATAT),  is  launched  to  set  up  5000  Compressed  Bio-Gas  (CBG)  production plants and make CBG available in the market for use in automotive fuels.
- (vi) Under Central Sector Scheme on 'Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for insitu management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi', agricultural machines and equipment for in-situ crop residue management are promoted with 50% subsidy to the individual farmers and 80% subsidy for the establishment of Custom Hiring Centres.
- (vii) 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 particulate matter concentrations by 2024.
- (viii) Central Pollution Control Board has identified 124 non-attainment cities, based on data  for  the  period  2015-2019.  Further,  8  additional  million  plus  cities  were identified  as  per  the  recommendations  of  the  15 th finance  commission  for  air quality  improvement.  States  have  been  asked  for  ground  implementation  of  an approved  city  action  plan  for  132  non-attainment  and  million  plus  cities  with immediate effect based on the recommendations of the three-member committee constituted by the Hon'ble National Green Tribunal.
- (ix) Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) phase -2 scheme has been rolled out.
- (x) Shifting of brick kilns to zig-zag technology for reduction of pollution. Industrial units shifting to piped natural gas.

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