Lok Sabha Question No. 2433 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-08-01
Subject: Performance-based Grants
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Sunita Duggal

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2433

TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.08.2022

## Performance-based Grants

## 2433. SHRIMATI SUNITADUGGAL:

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

- (a) whether there is a mechanism set up to recommend performance-based grants to all 42, Million Plus Cities (MPCs);
- (b) whether  the  same  mechanism  is  applicable  for  monitoring  other  90  Non-Attainment cities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP); and
- (c) the details  of the  parameters  and performance metrics, determining the release of the ambient air quality grants to Million Plus Cities (MPCs) for the Financial Years 20212022?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

## (a) , (b) & (c):

As per the operational guidelines published by Department of Expenditure vide dated 10.08.2021 for implementation of the recommendations on ambient air quality component  in  the  Million-plus challenge fund for Million Plus cities/  Urban agglomerations in Fifteenth Financial Commission final report, Ministry of Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  (MoEFCC)  acts  as  nodal  ministry  and recommends the release of Million Plus Challenge Fund to Million Plus Cities based on the performance of cities on air quality after consultation with MoH&UA and State Governments.

During  financial  year  2021-22,  release  of  ambient  air  quality  grants  to  million plus cities (MPCs) was on the basis of followingparameters:

- A. Strengthening of the pollution monitoring mechanisms;
- B. Source-wise cause analysis for air pollution;
- C. Progress on action plans and compliance of statutory guidelines;
- D. Quantification of air quality improvement with the weights

Details  of  abovementioned  parameters  and  relative  weightage  for  assessment  of performance of cities for FY 2021-22 are enclosed at Annexure I.

Under  National  Clean  Air  Program,  Operational  guidelines  for  release  and utilization  of  funds  under  NCAP  for  82  non-attainment  cities  has  been  issued  by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

***

## Annexure - I

## Year-wise weightage for City Performance Assessment is as under:

| Sr. No.   | Parameter 2021                                                  |   2021- 22 | 2022- 23   | 2023- 24   | 2024- 25   | 2025- 26   |
|-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|------------|
| A         | Strengthening of the pollution monitoring mechanisms            |         10 | -          | -          | -          | -          |
| B         | Source-wise cause analysis for air pollution                    |         10 | -          | -          | -          | -          |
| C         | Progress on action plans and compliance of statutory guidelines |         10 | -          | -          | -          | -          |
| D         | Quantification of air quality improvement with the weights      |         70 | 100        | 100        | 100        | 100        |
| Total     |                                                                 |        100 | 100        | 100        | 100        | 100        |

## A. Strengthening of the pollution monitoring mechanisms:

- a. Operationalization of Air Quality Monitoring Cell (AQMC)
- b. IT-Enabled air quality data management Systems
- c. Co-ordination committee reviews including progress and review of City Action Plans including public grievances redressal portal, emergency response and awareness program.

## B. Source-wise cause analysis for air pollution :

- a. Air Quality profiling to identify suitable locations for AQ monitoring station including hotspots.
- b. Source Apportionments Study and establishment of robust emission Inventory system.
- c. Development of IT-based Emission Tracking System

## C. Progress on action plans and compliance of statutory guidelines :

- a. Implementation and updation of City Action Plans
- b. Monitoring of PUC for vehicles
- c. Infrastructure planning and set up of (CAAQMS/ Manual AQMs)

## D. Quantification of air quality improvement with the weights:

Quantification of improvement in air quality has two parts, namely, reduction in particulate matter (PM10) and increase in the good days according to improvement in the air quality index (AQI) from the base year 2019-20. The performance of the 42 Million-Plus  City/agglomeration  (Cities/UAs)  was  assessed  at  various  levels  and funds  awarded  based  on  the  parameters  fixed  by  the  15th  Finance  Commission  in Annexure 7.8, 7.8 A and 7.8 B of Chapter -7, Volume-II of the Final Report.

Evaluation  under  abovementioned  parameter  D  and  performance  metrics  used  for determining  the  release  of  the  ambient  air  quality  grants  to  Million  Plus  Cities (MPCs) for the Financial Years 2021-2022 is as under:

- i. Reductioninairpollutionlevels(particulatematter)

| TableA-PM 10 AnnualAverage Concentration   | TableA-PM 10 AnnualAverage Concentration   | TableA-PM 10 AnnualAverage Concentration   |
|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|
| S.No.                                      | Reduction(%)inannualaverageconcentration   | Improvement                                |
| 1                                          | 15andabove                                 | High                                       |
| 2                                          | <15                                        | Low                                        |

## ii.   FrequencyofexceedanceinAQIlevels:

The number of days exceeding AQI (Moderate - 200) out of total number of normal days monitored per year would be graded as under:

| TableB-Gooddays (AQI<200)   | TableB-Gooddays (AQI<200)   | TableB-Gooddays (AQI<200)   |
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
| S.No.                       | Increasein Good days(%)     | Improvement                 |
| 1                           | 15andabove                  | High                        |
| 2                           | <15                         | Low                         |

Based  on  grading  in  Table  'A'  and  Table  'B'  above,  the  combined  performance factor for Air Quality Management would be graded and evaluated for the cities/ UAs as per following procedure:

|   S.No . | Reduction (%) in annualaverage concentration(fromT able A)   | IncreaseinGooddays( %) (fromTable B)   |   Performance Factor,S D =Score, S* |
|----------|--------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
|        1 | High                                                         | High                                   |                                 100 |
|        2 | Low                                                          | High                                   |                                  75 |
|        3 | High                                                         | Low                                    |                                  50 |
|        4 | Low                                                          | Low                                    |                                  25 |

| Table1-FundAllocation toCities(Performancebased)   | Table1-FundAllocation toCities(Performancebased)   |
|----------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|
| Scoreof thecity,S                                  | Percentageof Fund allocation from2021-22onwards    |
| 80-100                                             | 100                                                |
| 60-80                                              | 75                                                 |
| 50-60                                              | 50                                                 |
| 40-50                                              | 25                                                 |
| Below40                                            | NIL                                                |