Lok Sabha Question No. 2214 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-09
Subject: Pollution in Jharkhand
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Dulu Mahato

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 2214

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.12.2024

## Pollution in Jharkhand

## 2214.   SHRI DULU MAHATO:

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

- (a) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to curb the land pollution in the State of Jharkhand particularly Dhanbad District;
- (b) the details of the plans initiated by the Government to maintain ecological balance in between urbanization and industrialisation in the said State particularly, Dhanbad district;
- (c) the measures being taken to improve the air quality and the positive impact that are likely to have on health;
- (d) the Government schemes which can be effective in curtailing the pollution in the State of Jharkhand including Dhanbad district and other industrial areas; and
- (e) the steps likely to be taken by the Government to deal with climate change in the State of Jharkhand specially in the context of industrialization?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

## (a) to (e):

To curb down land pollution in the State of Jharkhand District Environment Management Plan and  District  Task  Force  have  been  constituted  at  district  level  under  the  chairmanship  of concerned Deputy Commissioner. District Environment Management Plan has been formulated at  district  level  to  monitor  and  manage  the issues  pertaining to Environment  & Ecology.

Jharkhand  State  Pollution  Control  Board  (JSPCB)  as  a  state  regulatory  body  ensures  the satisfactory  compliance  of  provisions  laid  down  under  the  Air  (Prevention  and  Control  of Pollution) Act, 1981.

JSPCB has also taken  a  formidable  step  to  improve  the  air  quality  under  the  mandates  of National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NCAP) and guidelines of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Currently 3 major cities of the State i.e. Ranchi, Jamshedpur and Dhanbad are being covered under NCAP. Measures being taken under NCAP to improve the air quality in these cities are mentioned below.

## RANCHI:

There are three pillars of action that have been followed and will continue to achieve clean air in the city:

## 1. Infrastructure development

-  Paving and black toping of roads
-  Creation of green patches

## 2. Dust Re-Suspension Control

-  Regular spraying of roads and public areas by using 04 nos. Anti-smog gun
-  Regular sweeping by using 02 nos. of Mechanical Sweeper Machines
-  Regular cleaning of drains by using 02 nos. of Super sucker machine
-  Controlling dispersed sources of pollution through compliance check & random audits
3. Citizen Engagement and Awareness :
-  Community engagement events
-  Educational campaigns with Collaborations with schools, NGOs, and local communities for public awareness.

## JAMSHEDPUR:

The details of achievements regarding air quality and mitigating pollution under NCAP:-

- Drone Monitoring of City.
- Civic Awareness & Educational Initiatives.
- Awareness Session on Healthy Air, Healthy Planet at Tata Cummins Pvt. Ltd.
- Meeting with various Stakeholders.
- Capacity building of ULB officials.
- Seminar on Source Segregation with School Students.
- Seminar on Home Composting with SHGs.
- Greening and Afforestation.
- Green Area development by Mango Municipal Corporation.
- Air Quality Monitoring.
- Mechanical Street Sweeper.
- Water Sprinklers.
- Wet waste Management.

## DHANBAD:

A. Enhanced Air Quality Monitoring: Dhanbad has seen significant advancements in its air quality-monitoring  infrastructure,  with  an  increase  in  the  number  of monitoring  stations strategically  placed  across  the  city. These  stations  generate  real-time  air  quality  data, empowering  residents  to  stay  informed  about  pollution levels.  To  complement  this,  health advisories are regularly disseminated, offering guidelines to mitigate the adverse effects of air pollution, particularly  for  vulnerable populations, including children, the elderly,  and individuals with respiratory or cardiovascular condition.

## 1. Installation of 10 CAAQMS stations and 5 LED display boards :

|   S. No. | Station Name       | Location                        |
|----------|--------------------|---------------------------------|
|        1 | Luby Circular Road | Golf Ground, Luby Circular Road |
|        2 | IT ISM             | IIT ISM Campus                  |
|        3 | Kolakusma          | Vibha Bhawan, Kolakusma         |

|   4 | Bhuda            | Vibha Bhwan, Bhuda                    |
|-----|------------------|---------------------------------------|
|   5 | Chasnala         | Vibha bhawan, Chasnala                |
|   6 | Mohalbani        | Mohalbani Samshan Ghat                |
|   7 | Baniahir         | Baniahir, Nigam Anchal Office(Jharia) |
|   8 | Bhagabandh       | Samudaye Bhawan, Bhagabandh           |
|   9 | Lilori park      | Lilori Park, Katras                   |
|  10 | Birsa Munda Park | Birsa Munda Park                      |

## 5 no. of LED Display Boards:

|   S.No. | Location                              |
|---------|---------------------------------------|
|       1 | Main Gate,DMC Office                  |
|       2 | Bank More, Dhanbad                    |
|       3 | IIT ISM Main gate                     |
|       4 | Katras More, Jharia                   |
|       5 | Birsa Munda Park, near new DMC office |

- B. Efforts to Control Mining-Related Pollution: Understanding the air pollution and health challenges associated with mining activities, Dhanbad Nagar Nigam has implemented several proactive measures:

Adoption  of  Sustainable  Mining  Practices: Dhanbad  Nagar  Nigam  is  working  towards sustainable mining  practice  in  the  district.  Efforts  are  underway  to introduce  and  enforce environmentally  sustainable  mining techniques  aimed  at  reducing  the  dust  emission  and minimizing ecological degradation.

## Commissioning of a study on Mining:

Dhanbad Nagar Nigam has commissioned a comprehensive study with the IOR under NCAP, Indian School of Mines(ISM), now IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, focusing on:

1. Compliance Evaluation: Assessing current compliance levels within mining operations and identifying areas for improvement.
2.  Sustainable  Practices: Developing  innovative  and  actionable  recommendations  for environmentally sustainable  mining  methods  that  align  with  both  ecological  and  economic goals.

Stricter  Compliance  Measures: The  Nagar  Nigam  is  intensifying  regulatory  oversight  of mining operations, ensuring adherence to stringent environmental standards. Regular advisories and consultative meetings with mining units and JSPCB are conducted to promote awareness and accountability, ensuring effective compliance with air pollution norms.

- C. Best Practice adopted by the City/ULB:
1. Infrastructure development
3.  Paving and black toping of roads
4.  Creation of green patches and vertical gardens throughout the city to increase green cover
5.  Construction of Electric Crematorium at Mohalbani and Matkuria Shamshan Ghats.

## 2. Dust Re-Suspension Control

-  Regular spraying of roads and public areas to suppress dust emissions using 7 Nos. of water sprinkler.
-  Scheduled sweeping activities to minimize dust accumulation on streets and public spaces using 8 Nos. of Mechanical Road sweepers.

## 3. Citizen Engagement and Awareness

-  Conducting Public Awareness Program "Paryavaran Utsav-2024" to educate citizens about the  importance  of  clean  air  and  the  actions  they  can  take  to  contribute  to  clean  air initiatives,
-  Organizing  Workshops  and  Conferences  and  collaborations  among  stakeholders  to provide opportunities for knowledge-sharing and collective problem-solving,
-  Collaborating with Schools, NGOs, and Local Communities to mobilize collective action toward cleaner air.
-  Launched  a  citizen  volunteer  program  "Vayu  Mitra"  aimed  at  creating  awareness  and empowering citizens to work together towards achieving clean air in the city.
-  Regular issuance and dissemination of weekly air quality bulletins, depicting the air quality recorded in 7 days.

## As per the report received from BCCL for improvement of Air quality around mining area, Dhanbad.

1. The Sprinkling arrangements have been strengthened at siding and permanent transport routes by providing mist sprinklers, fog canon (trolley and truck mounted) in addition to conventional mobile sprinklers.
2. The Drilling machines are equipped with Dust collector system and water injection system drilling.
3. Covered transportation of coal: Covered Transportation is being done. All Contracts of coal Transport provided with condition of covered transportation only.
4. Sweeping of road: Mechanical Sweeper is operational  along  with  manual  sweeping of roads to reduce road silt content.
5. The Air Pollution Monitoring Mechanism has been strengthened with installing of online PM10  Analyzers  and  Routine  air  quality  monitoring  being  done  through  A  NABL accredited laboratory M/s CMPDI Ltd.
6. Wheel  washing  mechanism  has  been  provided  along  with  overhead  sprinklers  to  cool down the fiery coal and hot overburden transport as Jharia coalfield is affected with fire.
7. Green  belt  development  for  core  as  well  as  buffer  zone  is  being  carried  out  with  Eco restoration/Afforestation  over  1631.53  ha  and  51.85  ha  outside  leasehold  area  (within Jharkhand).
8. BCCL carried out the Source Apportionment Study through CSIR-NEERI in FY 2019-20 and submitted its final report in FY 2022-23. Findings of the study concluded that Coal Mining contributed only 6-8% in the pollutant load of Particulate Matter (PM) for Jharia Coalfields, whereas, the major contribution was from Transport, Road Re-suspension and Domestic Burning.

## Steps proposed to be taken/being taken:

1. Four Mechanical sweepers have been procured and under delivery/ commissioning process that will further strengthen the sweeping and cleaning of roads.
2. Trolley  mounted  Fog  canons  have  been  procured  and  under  delivery/  commissioning process thus the dust suppression capacity has been augmented.
3. Cement Concrete Road and Pavement quality Control (PQC) road construction for coal transport is being undertaken to reduce fugitive dust emission.
4. Greenbelt development as a regular process is being carried out every year as mandated by Ministry. Along with it BCCL has also booked plantation of 150 ha under Green Credit Program in Jharkhand.
5. Under Good mining Practices new technology mining like High wall Mining, Ripper dozer mining is being implemented to reduce emissions from drilling and blasting with increase in coal conservation.

As a cumulative results of various steps taken for the improvement of air quality is expected to yield positive impact on the health of citizens including reduction in vulnerability of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

The central funded schemes for curtailing the pollution which are currently under implementation in the State of Jharkhand including Dhanbad district and other industrial areas are as follows:-

- (i) National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP)
- (ii) National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
- (iii) National Water Monitoring Programme (NWMP).
- (iv) Namami Gange Programme.
- (v) Assistance for abatement of Pollution (AAP).

In addition to above, the Government of Jharkhand has prepared the Jharkhand Action Plan on Climate Change to deal with Climate Change in the State which is available in public domain at https://moef.gov.in/uploads/2017/08/Jharkhand.pdf.