Lok Sabha Question No. 4251 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-27
Subject: Air Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Himadri Singh

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4251

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.03.2023

## Air Pollution

## 4251.   SHRIMATI HIMADRI SINGH:

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

- (a) the details of efforts being made by the Government to achieve objective of reducing air pollution by minimising exploitation of conventional sources;
- (b) whether the amount of grants being provided by the Government for promoting vehicles running on other sources like CNG, electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles etc.;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the efforts being made by the Government to increase the number of CNG pump stations?

## ANSWER

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

## (a)

The Government has launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) as a long-term, timebound programme to reduce air pollution in a comprehensive manner with target to achieve upto  40%  reduction  in  PM10  concentration  level  by  the  year  2025-2026  w.r.t.  baseline  of 2017-18. City specific clean air action plans under NCAP have been prepared and rolled out for  implementation  in  these  131  non-attainment/million  plus  cities  by  the  concerned stakeholders  including  State  Governments  by  minimising  exploitation  of  conventional sources. The specific clean air action plans target the city specific air polluting sources viz. vehicular  emission,  road  dust,  biomass/crop/garbage/MSW  burning,  construction  activities, industrial emission and other city specific sources etc. NCAP strategy includes the following actions:

- (i) Clean  Air  Action  Plans  at  National,  State  and  City  levels  for  source  specific mitigation actions;
- (ii) Financial incentive structure for targeted cities  linked  with  air quality  improvement performance (49 cities under XVth Finance Commission grants and 82 cities funded under NCAP)
- (iii) Coordinated actions by Central Ministries and State Governments and their agencies;
- (iv) Convergence of resources from schemes of Central Government, State Government and Urban Local Bodies;
- (v) Building of a mass movement - Jan Andolan.

The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas has issued 72 statutory  Directions  to  prevent,  control  and  abate  air  pollution  covering  various  sectors contributing to air pollution in NCR. Further, with a view to abate and control air pollution in Delhi / NCR, the Commission has devised a comprehensive policy for abatement of pollution in NCR in July 2022, stipulating sector specific action points and quantify targets along with timelines along with implementation plan by various agencies in NCR States including the State of Punjab with respect to abatement of air pollution owing to crop residue burning. The policy  framework  details  sector-wise  interventions,  quantified  targets  and  timelines  for various  sectors  viz.  vehicular  pollution,  industrial  pollution,  dust  from  construction  and demolition project activities, road and open areas dust, biomass burning, agricultural stubble burning,  municipal  solid  waste  burning,  fires  in  sanitary  landfills  and  air  pollution  from dispersed sources etc.

(b)to (d) The  Government  has  various  grants  for  promoting  vehicles  running  on  other  sources  like CNG, electric vehicles and hydrogen vehicles etc.

Department of Heavy Industry (DHI) has formulated a scheme namely Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme in 2015 to promote adoption and manufacturing of electric/hybrid vehicles (xEVs) in India. Phase-II of FAME India Scheme is being implemented w.e.f. 01st April, 2019 for a period of 5 years with a total budgetary support of Rs. 10,000 crores.

Establishment of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) station is part of the development of City Gas Distribution (CGD) Network and the same is being carried out by the entities authorised by Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB).  PNGRB  identifies  the Geographical  Areas  (GAs)  for  authorisation  in  synchronization  with  the  development  of natural gas pipeline connectivity and natural gas availability.

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