Lok Sabha Question No. 824 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-12
Subject: Measures to Tackle Air Pollution in Delhi/NCR
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Devendra (Alias) Bhole Singh Singh, Ramya  Haridas

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 824

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.12.2022

## Measures to Tackle Air Pollution in Delhi/NCR

## 824. SHRI DEVENDRA SINGH BHOLE: MS. RAMYA HARIDAS:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that India is one of the top polluted country in the world and if so, the response of the Government thereto;
- (b) whether due to rising pollution level and bad air quality people are subjected to inhaling very hazardous levels of polluted air in many metropolitan cities especially in delhi and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether keeping in view of public health any long term action plan has been proposed to be prepared in consultation with the concerned State Governments; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with the extent to which pollution in likely to be controlled as a result thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b)

Out of 131 identified cities in the Country, decrease in PM10 Concentration has been observed in  95  cities  including  Delhi  during  2021-22  as  compared  to  levels  during  FY  2017-18.  The details is given as Annexure I .

Besides, various steps have been taken for control of air pollution in Delhi-NCR as a result of which, gradual improvement was noted in the year 2021 as CAAQMS data for Delhi reveals that  annual  concentration  of  PM  has  decreased  gradually  since  2016.  Despite  increased  in number of vehicles, growing population, increased industries activities and adverse meteorology, 27% reduction in PM10 and 22% in PM2.5 in Year 2021 w.r.t 2016 in Delhi was observed.  Similarly,  in  the  year  2021,  in  comparison  to  2016  the  number  of  'Good', 'Satisfactory' and 'Moderate' days increased to 197 against 108 in 2016, and number of 'Poor', 'Very Poor' and 'Severe' days decreased to 168 against 246 in 2016.

(c) & (d)

Government has launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019 as a national level strategy  to  reduce  air  pollution  levels  across  the  country.  Taking  into  account  the  available international experiences and national studies, the tentative national level target under NCAP is 20%-30% reduction of PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by 2024.

Central Pollution Control Board  (CPCB) has identified 131 cities (123 non-attainment cities exceeding National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), which were notified to protect human health). City Specific Clean Air Action Plans have been prepared based on the inputs of state governments and rolled out for implementation in these 131 non-attainment/million plus cities to improve the air quality (List enclosed at Annexure-II ).

The  city  specific  clean  air  action  plans  target  city  specific  air  polluting  sources  like  Soil  & Road Dust, Vehicles, Domestic Fuel, MSW Burning, Construction Material and Industries with short-term priority action as well as those to be implemented in a medium to longer time frame along with the responsible agencies. The action plans are available on the website of CPCB.

The steps taken by the Government are placed at Annexure III .

*****

## Annexure I

| Ambient (Integrated   | Air Quality status of Non-Attainment Cities (95) under NCAP Annual Average Concentration of PM )   | Air Quality status of Non-Attainment Cities (95) under NCAP Annual Average Concentration of PM )   | Air Quality status of Non-Attainment Cities (95) under NCAP Annual Average Concentration of PM )   | 10                                                | Air Quality status of Non-Attainment Cities (95) under NCAP Annual Average Concentration of PM )   | Air Quality status of Non-Attainment Cities (95) under NCAP Annual Average Concentration of PM )   | Air Quality status of Non-Attainment Cities (95) under NCAP Annual Average Concentration of PM )   | Air Quality status of Non-Attainment Cities (95) under NCAP Annual Average Concentration of PM )   |
|-----------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| States                | Sl. No.                                                                                            | Cities                                                                                             | 2017- 2018                                                                                         | 2018- 2019                                        | 2019-2020                                                                                          | 2020- 2021                                                                                         | 2021- 2022                                                                                         | % increase Decreas e                                                                               |
| States                | Sl. No.                                                                                            | Cities                                                                                             | Average concentr ation (F.Y.) of PM 10 (µg/m 3 )                                                   | Averag e concen tration (F.Y.) of PM 10 (µg/m 3 ) | Average concentra tion (F.Y.) of PM 10 (µg/m 3 )                                                   | Average concentr ation (F.Y.) of PM 10 (µg/m 3 )                                                   | Average concentr ation (F.Y.) of PM 10 (µg/m 3 )                                                   | 2017- 2018 to 2021-22                                                                              |
|                       | 1.                                                                                                 | Anantpur                                                                                           | 78                                                                                                 | 68                                                | 60                                                                                                 | 58                                                                                                 | 52                                                                                                 | -26                                                                                                |
|                       | 2.                                                                                                 | Chittur                                                                                            | 70                                                                                                 | 63                                                | 51                                                                                                 | 41                                                                                                 | 49                                                                                                 | -21                                                                                                |
|                       | 3.                                                                                                 | Eluru                                                                                              | 72                                                                                                 | 68                                                | 64                                                                                                 | 58                                                                                                 | 65                                                                                                 | -7                                                                                                 |
|                       | 4.                                                                                                 | Guntur                                                                                             | 66                                                                                                 | 49                                                | 58                                                                                                 | 56                                                                                                 | 58                                                                                                 | -8                                                                                                 |
|                       | 5.                                                                                                 | Kadapa                                                                                             | 75                                                                                                 | 61                                                | 48                                                                                                 | 50                                                                                                 | 54                                                                                                 | -21                                                                                                |
|                       | 6.                                                                                                 | Kurnool                                                                                            | 79                                                                                                 | 64                                                | 56                                                                                                 | 52                                                                                                 | 61                                                                                                 | -18                                                                                                |
| Andhra                | 7.                                                                                                 | Nellore                                                                                            | 64                                                                                                 | 64                                                | 67                                                                                                 | 56                                                                                                 | 55                                                                                                 | -9                                                                                                 |
| Pradesh               | 8.                                                                                                 | Ongole                                                                                             | 65                                                                                                 | 64                                                | 59                                                                                                 | 49                                                                                                 | 52                                                                                                 | -13                                                                                                |
|                       | 9.                                                                                                 | Rajamahendravar am                                                                                 | 85                                                                                                 | 77                                                | 61                                                                                                 | 69                                                                                                 | 68                                                                                                 | -17                                                                                                |
|                       | 10.                                                                                                | Vijayawada                                                                                         | 91                                                                                                 | 64                                                | 57                                                                                                 | 56                                                                                                 | 67                                                                                                 | -24                                                                                                |
|                       | 11.                                                                                                | Vizhianagaram                                                                                      | 72                                                                                                 | 66                                                | 68                                                                                                 | 63                                                                                                 | 71                                                                                                 | -1                                                                                                 |
|                       | 12.                                                                                                | Silchar                                                                                            | 49                                                                                                 | 48                                                | 45                                                                                                 | 43                                                                                                 | 45                                                                                                 | -4                                                                                                 |
|                       | 13.                                                                                                | Sivasagar                                                                                          | 73                                                                                                 | 68                                                | 55                                                                                                 | 48                                                                                                 | 47                                                                                                 | -26                                                                                                |
| Bihar                 | 14.                                                                                                | Patna                                                                                              | 172                                                                                                | 211                                               | 170                                                                                                | 143                                                                                                | 145                                                                                                | -27                                                                                                |
| Chandiga rh           | 15.                                                                                                | Chandigarh                                                                                         | 114                                                                                                | 98                                                | 92                                                                                                 | 90                                                                                                 | 97                                                                                                 | -17                                                                                                |
|                       | 16.                                                                                                | Durg Bhilainagar                                                                                   | 86                                                                                                 | 78                                                | 75                                                                                                 | 56                                                                                                 | 58                                                                                                 | -28                                                                                                |
|                       | 17.                                                                                                | Raipur                                                                                             | 70                                                                                                 | 68                                                | 63                                                                                                 | 55                                                                                                 | 61                                                                                                 | -9                                                                                                 |
| Delhi                 | 18.                                                                                                | Delhi                                                                                              | 241                                                                                                | 226                                               | 192                                                                                                | 193                                                                                                | 196                                                                                                | -45                                                                                                |
| Gujarat               | 20.                                                                                                | Rajkot                                                                                             | 150                                                                                                | 182                                               | 113                                                                                                | 94                                                                                                 | 116                                                                                                | -51 -34                                                                                            |
|                       | 19.                                                                                                | Ahmedabad                                                                                          | 164                                                                                                | 233                                               | 116                                                                                                | 120                                                                                                | 113                                                                                                |                                                                                                    |
|                       | 21.                                                                                                | Surat                                                                                              | 130                                                                                                | 175                                               | 109                                                                                                | 93                                                                                                 | 100                                                                                                | -30                                                                                                |
|                       | 22.                                                                                                | Vadodara                                                                                           | 133                                                                                                | 199                                               | 108                                                                                                | 95                                                                                                 | 121                                                                                                | -12                                                                                                |
|                       | 23.                                                                                                | Baddi                                                                                              | 174                                                                                                | 179                                               | 133                                                                                                | 123                                                                                                | 132                                                                                                | -42                                                                                                |
| Himachal              | 24. 25.                                                                                            | Kala Amb                                                                                           | 146                                                                                                | 78                                                | 113                                                                                                | 64                                                                                                 | 114                                                                                                | -62                                                                                                |
| Pradesh               |                                                                                                    | Nalagarh                                                                                           | 118                                                                                                | 102                                               | 95                                                                                                 | 90                                                                                                 | 84                                                                                                 | -4                                                                                                 |
| Jharkhan              | 28.                                                                                                | Dhanbad                                                                                            | 315                                                                                                | 252                                               | 211                                                                                                | 198                                                                                                | 235                                                                                                | -80                                                                                                |
| d                     | 29.                                                                                                |                                                                                                    | 135                                                                                                | 121                                               | 138                                                                                                | 96                                                                                                 | 110                                                                                                | -25                                                                                                |
|                       |                                                                                                    | Jamshedpur                                                                                         |                                                                                                    |                                                   |                                                                                                    |                                                                                                    |                                                                                                    |                                                                                                    |

|            |   30. | Ranchi           |   141 |   116 |   108 |   105 |   110 |   -31 |
|------------|-------|------------------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|
| Karnatak a |    31 | Bengaluru        |    92 |    92 |    73 |    62 |    67 |   -25 |
|            |    32 | Devangere        |    74 |    50 |    66 |    72 |    57 |   -17 |
|            |    33 | Hubli-Dharwad    |    79 |    85 |    78 |    69 |    68 |   -11 |
|            |    34 | Dewas            |    83 |   107 |    91 |    93 |    81 |    -2 |
|            |    35 | Gwalior          |   126 |   133 |   136 |   125 |   109 |   -17 |
|            |    36 | Akola            |   111 |    71 |    66 |    54 |    64 |   -47 |
|            |    37 | Amravati         |   102 |   106 |    89 |    58 |    66 |   -36 |
|            |    38 | Badlapur         |   160 |   148 |    88 |    67 |    94 |   -66 |
|            |    39 | Chandrapur       |   118 |   107 |    93 |   100 |   104 |   -14 |
|            |    40 | Greater Mumbai   |   161 |   132 |   106 |    98 |   106 |   -55 |
|            |    41 | Jalgaon          |    70 |    70 |    57 |    53 |    59 |   -11 |
|            |    42 | Jalna            |    99 |   101 |    95 |    86 |    93 |    -6 |
|            |    43 | Kolhapur         |    89 |    89 |    95 |    83 |    81 |    -8 |
|            |    44 | Latur            |    82 |    90 |    84 |    54 |    57 |   -25 |
|            |    45 | Nagpur           |   100 |    93 |    80 |    68 |    68 |   -32 |
|            |    46 | Nashik           |    82 |    73 |    57 |    51 |    59 |   -23 |
|            |    47 | Pune             |   102 |   103 |    81 |    69 |    85 |   -17 |
|            |    48 | Sangli           |    87 |    80 |    70 |    71 |    60 |   -27 |
|            |    49 | Solapur          |    81 |    65 |    90 |    79 |    60 |   -21 |
|            |    50 | Thane            |   138 |   118 |    79 |   105 |   130 |    -8 |
|            |    51 | Ulhasnagar       |   153 |   131 |    83 |    66 |    77 |   -76 |
| Nagaland   |    52 | Dimapur          |   142 |   124 |    84 |    85 |    84 |   -58 |
| Nagaland   |    53 | Kohima           |   127 |   103 |    81 |    84 |    69 |   -58 |
| Nagaland   |    54 | Balasore         |    84 |    86 |    86 |    78 |    74 |   -10 |
| Nagaland   |    55 | Cuttack          |    93 |   116 |   104 |    86 |    90 |    -3 |
| Nagaland   |    56 | Talcher          |   113 |   113 |   122 |    98 |    81 |   -32 |
| Punjab     |    57 | Amritsar         |   189 |   124 |   109 |   113 |   118 |   -71 |
| Punjab     |    58 | Dera Baba Nanak  |    79 |    84 |    68 |    66 |    71 |    -8 |
| Punjab     |    59 | Jalandhar        |   178 |   115 |   121 |   150 |   130 |   -48 |
| Punjab     |    60 | Khanna           |   142 |   104 |   113 |   101 |   106 |   -36 |
| Punjab     |    61 | Ludhiana         |   168 |   123 |   115 |   129 |   150 |   -18 |
| Punjab     |    62 | MandiGobindgar h |   148 |   131 |   130 |   131 |   122 |   -26 |
| Punjab     |    63 | NayaNangal       |    87 |    94 |    98 |    95 |    70 |   -17 |
| Rajasthan  |    64 | Jaipur           |   172 |   144 |   124 |   112 |   126 |   -46 |
| Rajasthan  |    65 | Alwar            |   152 |   176 |   126 |   110 |   112 |   -40 |
| Rajasthan  |    66 | Jodhpur          |   189 |   218 |   167 |   155 |   161 |   -28 |
| Rajasthan  |    67 | Kota             |   139 |   144 |   102 |   100 |   112 |   -27 |
| Rajasthan  |    68 | Udaipur          |   127 |   141 |   136 |   109 |   122 |    -5 |
| Tamil Nadu |    69 | Chennai          |    66 |    79 |    60 |    60 |    57 |    -9 |
| Tamil Nadu |    70 | Madurai          |    72 |    85 |    66 |    57 |    53 |   -19 |
| Tamil Nadu |    71 | Trichy           |    88 |   109 |    58 |    40 |    45 |   -43 |
| Tamil Nadu |    72 | Tuticorin        |   123 |    98 |    84 |    84 |    67 |   -56 |
| Telangan   |    73 | Hyderabad        |   110 |    96 |    86 |    88 |    88 |   -22 |
| a          |    74 | Sangareddy       |    85 |    82 |    87 |    77 |    83 |    -2 |
| Uttar      |    75 | Agra             |   202 |   196 |   163 |   188 |   146 |   -56 |

| Pradesh      |   76. | Allahabad   |   169 |   225 |   219 |   184 |   119 |   -50 |
|--------------|-------|-------------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|-------|
| Pradesh      |    77 | Ghaziabad   |   285 |   256 |   218 |   218 |   216 |   -69 |
| Pradesh      |    78 | Kanpur      |   227 |   217 |   200 |   169 |   170 |   -57 |
| Pradesh      |    79 | Lucknow     |   253 |   210 |   216 |   209 |   148 |  -105 |
| Pradesh      |    80 | Varanasi    |   230 |   211 |   180 |   168 |   114 |  -116 |
| Pradesh      |    81 | Anpara      |   175 |   176 |   169 |   142 |   154 |   -21 |
| Pradesh      |    82 | Bareily     |   207 |   221 |   185 |   193 |   175 |   -32 |
| Pradesh      |    83 | Firozabad   |   247 |   211 |   213 |   186 |   137 |  -110 |
| Pradesh      |    84 | Gajraula    |   204 |   228 |   217 |   168 |   155 |   -49 |
| Pradesh      |    85 | Gorakpur    |   150 |   284 |   278 |   168 |   122 |   -28 |
| Pradesh      |    86 | Khurja      |   195 |   202 |   226 |   194 |   173 |   -22 |
| Pradesh      |    87 | Moradabad   |   222 |   218 |   243 |   206 |   155 |   -67 |
| Pradesh      |    88 | Noida       |   229 |   252 |   213 |   197 |   203 |   -26 |
| Pradesh      |    89 | Raebareli   |   145 |   140 |   161 |    98 |   112 |   -33 |
| Uttarakh and |    90 | Dehradun    |   250 |   192 |   166 |   144 |   146 |  -104 |
| Uttarakh and |    91 | Rishikesh   |   129 |   133 |   136 |    77 |   117 |   -12 |
| Bengal       |    92 | Asansol     |   147 |   123 |   124 |   114 |   112 |   -35 |
| West         |    93 | Barrackpore |    86 |   107 |   108 |    75 |    85 |    -1 |
| West         |    94 | Howrah      |   139 |   145 |   144 |   117 |   125 |   -14 |
| West         |    95 | Kolkata     |   147 |   128 |   101 |    99 |   105 |   -42 |

Annexure II List of 131 Non-Attainment and Million Plus Cities

| State                |   S.No. | City           |
|----------------------|---------|----------------|
| Andhra Pradesh (13)  |       1 | Guntur         |
| Andhra Pradesh (13)  |       2 | Kurnool        |
| Andhra Pradesh (13)  |       3 | Nellore        |
| Andhra Pradesh (13)  |       4 | Vijayawada     |
| Andhra Pradesh (13)  |       5 | Vishakhapatnam |
| Andhra Pradesh (13)  |       6 | Anantapur      |
| Andhra Pradesh (13)  |       7 | Chitoor        |
| Andhra Pradesh (13)  |       8 | Eluru          |
| Andhra Pradesh (13)  |       9 | Kadapa         |
| Andhra Pradesh (13)  |      10 | Ongole         |
| Andhra Pradesh (13)  |      11 | Rajahmundry    |
| Andhra Pradesh (13)  |      12 | Srikakulam     |
| Andhra Pradesh (13)  |      13 | Vizianagaram   |
| Assam (05)           |      14 | Guwahati       |
| Assam (05)           |      15 | Nagaon         |
| Assam (05)           |      16 | Nalbari        |
| Assam (05)           |      17 | Sibsagar       |
| Assam (05)           |      18 | Silchar        |
| Bihar (03)           |      19 | Patna          |
| Bihar (03)           |      20 | Gaya           |
|                      |      21 | Muzaffarpur    |
| Chandigarh (01)      |      22 | Chandigarh     |
| Chhattisgarh (03)    |      23 | Bhilai         |
|                      |      24 | Korba          |
|                      |      25 | Raipur         |
| Delhi (01)           |      26 | Delhi          |
| Gujarat (03)         |      27 | Surat          |
| Gujarat (03)         |      28 | Ahmedabad      |
| Himachal Pradesh (7) |      29 | Vadodara       |
|                      |      30 | Baddi          |
|                      |      31 | Damtal         |
|                      |      32 | Kala Amb       |
|                      |      33 | Nalagarh       |
|                      |      34 | Paonta Sahib   |
|                      |      35 | Parwanoo       |
|                      |      36 | Sunder Nagar   |
| Jammu &Kashmir (2)   |      37 | Jammu          |
|                      |      38 | Srinagar       |
| Jharkhand (01)       |      39 | Dhanbad        |
|                      |      40 | Bangalore      |
| Karnataka (04)       |      41 | Devanagere     |
|                      |      42 | Gulburga       |
|                      |      43 | Hubli-Dharwad  |
| Madhya Pradesh (06)  |      44 | Bhopal         |
|                      |      45 | Dewas          |

| State            |   S.No. | City                |
|------------------|---------|---------------------|
|                  |      46 | Indore              |
|                  |      47 | Sagar               |
|                  |      48 | Ujjain              |
|                  |      49 | Gwalior             |
|                  |      50 | Akola               |
|                  |      51 | Amravati            |
|                  |      52 | Aurangabad          |
|                  |      53 | Badlapur            |
|                  |      54 | Chandrapur          |
|                  |      55 | Jalgaon             |
|                  |      56 | Jalna               |
|                  |      57 | Kolhapur            |
| Maharashtra (18) |      58 | Latur               |
|                  |      59 | Mumbai              |
|                  |      60 | Nagpur              |
|                  |      61 | Nashik              |
|                  |      62 | Navi Mumbai         |
|                  |      63 | Pune                |
|                  |      64 | Sangli              |
|                  |      65 | Solapur             |
|                  |      66 | Ulhasnagar          |
|                  |      67 | Thane               |
| Meghalaya (01)   |      68 | Byrnihat            |
| Nagaland (02)    |      69 | Dimapur             |
| Nagaland (02)    |      70 | Kohima              |
| Orissa (07)      |      71 | Angul               |
| Orissa (07)      |      72 | Balasore            |
| Orissa (07)      |      73 | Bhubaneswar         |
| Orissa (07)      |      74 | Cuttack             |
| Orissa (07)      |      75 | Rourkela            |
| Orissa (07)      |      76 | Talcher             |
| Orissa (07)      |      77 | Kalinga Nagar       |
| Punjab (09)      |      78 | DeraBassi           |
| Punjab (09)      |      79 | Gobindgarh          |
| Punjab (09)      |      80 | Jalandhar           |
| Punjab (09)      |      81 | Khanna              |
| Punjab (09)      |      82 | Ludhiana            |
| Punjab (09)      |      83 | NayaNangal          |
| Punjab (09)      |      84 | Pathankot/Dera Baba |
| Punjab (09)      |      85 | Patiala             |
| Rajasthan (05)   |      86 | Amritsar            |
| Rajasthan (05)   |      87 | Alwar               |
| Rajasthan (05)   |      88 | Jaipur              |
| Rajasthan (05)   |      89 | Jodhpur             |
| Rajasthan (05)   |      90 | Kota                |
| Rajasthan (05)   |      91 | Udaipur             |

| State                                                   | S.No.                                                   | City                                                    |
|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|
| Tamilnadu(03)                                           | 92.                                                     | Thoothukudi                                             |
|                                                         | 93.                                                     | Trichy                                                  |
|                                                         | 94.                                                     | Madurai                                                 |
| Telangana (04)                                          | 95.                                                     | Hyderabad                                               |
| Telangana (04)                                          | 96.                                                     | Nalgonda                                                |
| Telangana (04)                                          | 97.                                                     | Patancheruvu                                            |
| Telangana (04)                                          | 98.                                                     | Sangareddy                                              |
|                                                         | 99.                                                     | Agra                                                    |
| Uttar Pradesh (16)                                      | 100.                                                    | Allahabad                                               |
| Uttar Pradesh (16)                                      | 101.                                                    | Anpara                                                  |
| Uttar Pradesh (16)                                      | 102.                                                    | Bareily                                                 |
| Uttar Pradesh (16)                                      | 103.                                                    | Firozabad                                               |
| Uttar Pradesh (16)                                      | 104.                                                    | Gajraula                                                |
| Uttar Pradesh (16)                                      | 105.                                                    | Ghaziabad                                               |
| Uttar Pradesh (16)                                      | 106.                                                    | Jhansi                                                  |
| Uttar Pradesh (16)                                      | 107.                                                    | Kanpur                                                  |
| Uttar Pradesh (16)                                      | 108.                                                    | Khurja                                                  |
| Uttar Pradesh (16)                                      | 109.                                                    | Lucknow                                                 |
| Uttar Pradesh (16)                                      | 110.                                                    | Moradabad                                               |
| Uttar Pradesh (16)                                      | 111.                                                    | Noida                                                   |
| Uttar Pradesh (16)                                      | 112.                                                    | Raebareli                                               |
| Uttar Pradesh (16)                                      | 113.                                                    | Varanasi                                                |
| Uttar Pradesh (16)                                      | 114.                                                    | Gorakhpur                                               |
|                                                         | 115.                                                    | Kashipur                                                |
| Uttarakhand(03)                                         | 116.                                                    | Rishikesh                                               |
| Uttarakhand(03)                                         | 117.                                                    | Dehradun                                                |
|                                                         | 118.                                                    | Kolkata                                                 |
| West Bengal (06)                                        | 119.                                                    | Asansol                                                 |
| West Bengal (06)                                        | 120.                                                    | Barrackpore                                             |
| West Bengal (06)                                        | 121.                                                    | Durgapur                                                |
| West Bengal (06)                                        | 122.                                                    | Haldia                                                  |
| West Bengal (06)                                        |                                                         | Howrah                                                  |
| Million plus cities which is not                        | 123.                                                    |                                                         |
| non-attainment but funded under XV-Financial commission | non-attainment but funded under XV-Financial commission | non-attainment but funded under XV-Financial commission |
| Gujarat (1)                                             | 124.                                                    | Rajkot                                                  |
| Haryana (1)                                             | 125.                                                    | Faridabad                                               |
| Jharkhand (2)                                           | 126.                                                    | Jamshedpur                                              |
|                                                         | 127.                                                    | Ranchi                                                  |
| Madhya Pradesh (1)                                      | 128.                                                    | Jabalpur                                                |
| Uttar Pradesh (1)                                       | 129.                                                    | Meerut                                                  |
| Maharashtra (1)                                         | 130.                                                    | Vasai-Virar                                             |
| Tamilnadu (1)                                           | 131.                                                    | Chennai                                                 |

## List of Steps taken for improvement of air quality in Delhi-NCR

## 1.1.ACTIONS TAKEN BY CENTRAL POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD (CPCB)

## 1.1.1. Air Quality Monitoring and Network

1. National  Air  Quality  Index  (AQI) was  launched  in 2015. Information is being disseminated to public through daily air quality bulletins.
2. Ambient Air Quality Network :  Ambient air quality monitoring network in Delhi NCR strengthened  and  presently  comprises 143  stations  (81  continuous  and  62  manual systems) . Larger coverage and better representative data is now available.
3. In  addition,  to  supplement  conventional  ground  level  monitoring,  satellite  based  PM2.5 monitoring  in  collaboration  IIT  Delhi  is  being  established  using aerosol  optical  depth (AOD) .
4. A Central Control Room is operated by Central Pollution Control Board wherein, hour to hour tracking of various information such as PM concentrations, Live Air Quality Data of  Monitoring stations, Live Air Quality Index, Air Quality Forecast in Delhi-NCR (Source: SAFAR, IITM, Pune) is available.
5. AQI is monitored along with other parameters and is published on the website in the form of AQI Bulletin after analysis. The links for the same have been made available to CAQM for consideration and deciding on urgent actions for control of pollution in Delhi-NCR.

## 1.1.2. Measures for control of vehicular emissions:

1. Installation of Vapour Recovery System (VRS) in 3,600 petrol pumps
2. New policy - VRS to be installed at new petrol pumps
- a. selling >100kl per month in million plus cities
- b. selling >300kl per month in cities with population between 1 lakh to 1 million
3. Directions issued to M/s IOCL, M/s BPCL, M/s HPCL, M/s RIL, M/s Shell, M/s Nayara for installation of VRS as per above mentioned criteria
4. Guidelines issued for setting up of new petrol pumps including siting criteria
5. Guidelines issued for siting criteria for new petrol pumps around water bodies

## 1.1.3. Measures for control of industrial emission:

1. MoEF&CC has notified emission standards for industrial boilers and five industrial sectors i.e. lime kiln, foundry, ceramic, glass and reheating furnaces, in the year 2018.
2. Installation of OCEMS in red category industries in Delhi-NCR is in progress.
3. Industrial  units  in  Delhi  have  shifted  to  PNG/cleaner  fuels  whereas,  units  in  NCR  shall shift to PNG/Biomass latest by December 31, 2022.
4. Shifting of all operational brick kilns to zig-zag technology in Delhi and NCR.
5. CPCB  has  come  out  with  System  and  Procedure  for  Emission  Compliance  Testing  of Retro-fit Emission Control Devices (RECD) for Diesel Power Generating Set Engines up to Gross Mechanical Power 800 kW.

## 1.1.4. Measures for Control of Emissions from Stubble Burning

1. Daily monitoring of Active Fire Events (AFEs) is  done  during  stubble  burning  period and reports are shared with Commission on Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining areas for suitable action.
2. CPCB framed guidelines for promoting setting up of paddy straw based pelletization and Torrefaction plants which may help in addressing the supply chain issues. Scheme will  address  the  issue  of  open  burning  of  paddy  straw  in  agriculture  fields  in  Northern Region.  A  corpus  of  Rs.  50  crore  has  been  sanctioned  from  EPC  funds.  Assuming complete  utilization  of  the  corpus,  over  1  million  metric  tonnes  of  paddy  straw  based pellets are expected to be generated every year.

## 1.1.5. MSW, C&D Waste, E- Waste, Biomedical Waste and Hazardous Waste:

1. CPCB published guidelines on
2.  Environmental  Management  of  Construction  &  Demolition  (C  &  D)  Wastes'  in March, 2017
3.  'Guidelines  on  DUST  Mitigation  Measures  in  Handling  Construction  Material  & C&D Wastes' in November 2017.
4.  Disposal  of  legacy  waste  by  bio-mining  and  bio-remediation  to  address  open burning and landfill fires
5.  Deployment  of  Anti-Smog  Gun  at  large  construction  projects  sites  i n  all construction projects in Delhi-NCR having more than 20,000 sq. meters' built-up area
2. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic, waste tyre, batteries and e-waste management.
3. Ban on use of Single Use Plastic (SUP) w.e.f. July 01, 2022.

## 1.1.6. Technical Interventions

1. Advisory  have  been  issued  to  State  Boards  to  use dust  suppressant as  about  30% reduction  in  dust  concentration  was  observed  up  to  6  hours  after  application  of  dust suppressant.
2. A pilot Smog tower has been commissioned at AnandVihar, ISBT and is being operated since October 01, 2021. Localized pollution reduction performance being evaluated by IIT Bombay in association with IIT Delhi.
3. Research  projects  are  being  carried  out  by  CPCB  in  collaboration  with  premier institutions  like  IIT,  NEERI,  etc.  under  Environment  Protection  Charge  (EPC)  funds which provide scientific inputs  for  taking  focused  action  towards  improvement  in  air quality of Delhi NCR.
4. CPCB has initiated issuance of a daily  report  comprising  of  AQI  of Delhi  and  NCR towns, comparative AQI status, year-wise trends of PM concentration, hotspots for the day,  AFE  counts,  contribution  of  stubble  burning  and  meteorological  forecast.  This report  is  prepared  based  on  the  inputs  available  from  various  sources  such  as  IMD, SAFAR, IARI, etc., and disseminated through CPCB website.

## 1.1.7. Close Monitoring & Ground level implementation

1. Central Pollution Control Board has been continuously deploying d edicated CPCB's teams on the field during the winter season from 2017 onwards to check on-ground scenario of air pollution related activities and refer these to implementing agencies for necessary action.
2. 03.12.2021 onwards 40 officers of CPCB have been deployed as flying squads ,  for conducting incognito inspection of units/sites in various areas of Delhi, NCR regions of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Reports are submitted to Commission on Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining areas for further action.

## 1.1.8. Regular Stakeholder Consultation, Public & Media Outreach

1. Continuous  interactions  and  coordination  with  government  bodies,  public  agencies, urban local bodies for assessment of mitigation measures and to combat air pollution through review meetings for air quality management in Delhi-NCR. 41 review meetings convened as on date.
2. Twitter and Facebook accounts for public outreach and complaint redressal are closely monitored and complaints resolved through concerned enforcement agencies.
3. Dedicated  media  corner  on  CPCB  website  informs  latest  developments  and  actions taken.  Media briefings are also organized.

## 1.1.9. Regulatory Actions

1. Graded Response Action Plan  (GRAP) was prepared for implementation  under different  Air  Quality  Index  (AQI)  categories in  pursuant  to  the  Hon'ble  Supreme Court's  Order  dated  December  02,  2016.  A  Task  Force,  headed  by  CPCB  and comprising  of  members  from  Delhi  Pollution  Control  Committee  (DPCC),  State Pollution  Control  Boards  (SPCBs)  of  Haryana,  Uttar  Pradesh  &  Rajasthan,  India Meteorology Department (IMD) and Health Expert was constituted for recommending measures  under  GRAP  to  EPCA. 68  meetings  of  the  Task  Force  were  held  until EPCA was dissolved on promulgation of Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) .
2. Subsequently, Commission on Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining  areas  (CAQM)  entrusted  the  task  of  operationalizing  and  monitoring  the GRAP measures to CPCB till a mechanism is set up. CPCB reviewed air quality and meteorological  scenario  and  issued  the  orders  on  11.11.2020,  23.12.2020  and 15.01.2021 to all the concerned states.
3. CPCB  had  requested  MoEF&CC  for revision  of  GRAP and  further,  CPCB  has prepared revised action plan which was forwarded to the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas for taking it further. Subsequently, based on the inputs of CPCB and detailed deliberations, a revised GRAP has been published by CAQM on 05.08.2022, which came into effect from 01.10.2022.
4. The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) constituted  a sub-committee for operationalization of GRAP under chairmanship of  Member  Secretary,  CPCB  and  issuing  necessary  orders  to  the  effect ,  under which regular meetings are held, and Orders are issued under GRAP for mitigation of air pollution in Delhi-NCR. The sub-committee has since then been reconstituted, under the chairmanship of Member-Technical, CAQM vide order dated 06.09.2022.
5. Comprehensive  Action  Plan  (CAP) for  air  pollution  control  in  Delhi  &  NCR  is developed  by  MOEF&CC  which  identified  timelines  and  implementing  agency  for actions identified. CPCB issues directions to all the concerned agencies under Section 3 and 5 of Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986 for implementation of Comprehensive action plan. Now, CAQM is looking after implementation of CAP.

## Other Actions

1. Dedicated  media  corner,  twitter  and  Facebook  accounts  have  been  created  for public  outreach  and  complaint  redressal is  closely  monitoring  the  complaints  on SAMEER app and social media platforms (Twitter &  Facebook).  Sameer and  social media complaints are resolved through enforcement agencies and redressal status are being shared with respective agencies.

## 1.2.ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT

## 1.2.1. Measures for control of vehicular emissions:

1. Leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards since 1st April, 2018 in NCT of Delhi and from 1 st April, 2020 for the rest of the country.
2. RFID  (radio-frequency  identity) system  implemented  by  South  Delhi  Municipal Corporation  (SDMC)  for  collection  of  toll  and  Environment  Compensation  Charges from commercial vehicles entering Delhi.
3. Ban on all diesel vehicles older than 10 years and all petrol vehicles older than 15 years , in Delhi and NCR. (Hon'ble SC order dated 29.10.2018)
4. Introduction of BS VI compliant vehicles across the country since April, 2020.
5. Department  of  Heavy  Industry  is  providing  subsidy  on  e-vehicles  under Faster Adoption and Manufacture of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME -II India) scheme.
6. Sustainable  Alternative  Towards  Affordable  Transportation  (SATAT) has  been launched as an initiative to set up Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) production plants and make CBG available in the market for use in automotive fuels.
7. Operationalization of Expressways & Highways to divert non-destined traffic

## 1.2.2. Measures for control of industrial emission:

1. Notification  regarding  SO2  and  NOx  emission  standards have  been  issued  for Thermal Power Plants.
2. Closure of Badarpur Thermal Plant
3. Ban on use of pet coke and furnace oil as fuel in NCR States since October 24, 2017 and ban on use of imported pet coke in the country since July 26, 2018, with exception for use in permitted processes.
4. Development of low carbon strategies across sectors such as phasing out older coal based  power  plants,  compliance  of  standards,  City  Gas  Distribution  (CGD)  network, emphasis on improved power reliability in urban areas, etc.

## 1.2.3. Measures for control of emissions from Stubble Burning:

1. Under Central Sector Scheme on 'Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for in-situ 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 establishment of Custom Hiring Centers. In 2022, the Scheme has been merged with Sub-Mission  on  Agricultural  Mechanization  (SMAM)  and  SMAM  has  been  merged with RashtriyaKrishiVikasYojana (RKVY).
2. The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) on 17.09.2021 directed the coal-based Thermal Power plants situated up to a radius of 300  Km of  Delhi  to  co-fire  biomass  based  Pellets,  Torrefied  Pellets/Briquettes  (with focus on paddy straw) with Coal (up to 5-10%).

## 1.2.4. MSW, C&D Waste, E- Waste, Biomedical Waste and Hazardous Waste

1. Notifications of 7 Waste Management Rules covering solid waste, plastic waste, ewaste, bio-medical waste, C&D waste and hazardous wastes issued in 2016.
2. Increased  capacity  of  Construction  &  Demolition  (C&D)  waste  processing units along with notification of C & D Waste Management Rules.
3. Bio-mining of  three  dumpsites  at  Bhalswa,  Okhla  and  Ghazipur is  being  carried out.

## 1.2.5. Measures for control of emissions from Firecrackers

1. Introduction of green crackers with low emission and noise levels. Green Crackers have 30%  potential  reduction  of  PM  and  gaseous  emissions  compared  to  conventional firework.

## 1.2.6. National Clean Air Programme:

1. PRANA a portal for monitoring implementation of NCAP has been launched.
2. With  the  prime  objective  of  abating  Air  Pollution,  the  Ministry,  in  2019  launched  a National  Clean  Air  Programme  (NCAP)  as  a  National-level  Strategy  outlining  the actions for reducing the levels of air pollution at city and regional scales in India.
3. NCAP targets to achieve 20 to 30 % reduction in Particulate Matter less than 10 and 2.5 microns (PM10 and PM2.5) concentrations by 2024 across the country.
4. Activities in these cities include strengthening of ambient air quality network, source apportionment studies, dust mitigation equipment, composting units, infrastructure for non-motorized transport, shifting to clean energy in unorganized sectors, etc.
5. The  NCAP  focuses  on  multi-sectoral  sources  of  pollution  including  power  plants, industries, vehicles, open burning of waste, construction & demolition activities, etc.; inter-Ministerial coordination for convergence  of actions and interventions; and partnership with Institutes of National repute and International Agencies as Knowledge Partners

## Other Actions

1. Ministry is promoting people's participation and awareness building among citizens for environmental  conservation  through  Green  Good  Deeds  that  focus  on  promotion  of cycling,  saving  water  and  electricity,  growing  trees,  proper  maintenance  of  vehicles, following of lane discipline and reducing congestion on roads by car-pooling etc.
2. Extension of UjawalaYojana to ensure shifting to cleaner fuel.
3. Swatcch Bharat Mission and Waste Management initiatives.
4. The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) has come out with a policy to curb air pollution in NCR, along with a standard list of approved fuels for NCR for industrial and other applications.