Lok Sabha Question No. 3743 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-24
Subject: Pollution in Rishikesh
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3743

TO BE ANSWERED ON 24.03.2025

## Pollution in Rishikesh

## 3743.   SHRI TRIVENDRA SINGH RAWAT:

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

- (a) whether the Government is running any scheme to make Rishikesh an air pollution free pilgrimage site;
- (b) if so, the steps been taken by the Government under this Scheme and the status of their implementation;
- (c) whether the Government has introduced electric vehicles, improved public transport or taken any other measures to reduce vehicular pollution in Rishikesh, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government has set up any special mechanism for monitoring air quality in the said city and the results of the same?

## ANSWER

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

## (a) to (d):

The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in January 2019 with the goal of improving air quality in 130 non-attainment cities and Million Plus Cities including Rishikesh in Uttarakhand. The NCAP envisages reduction by 20-30% in PM10 concentrations by 2024-25 over baseline in the year 2017-18. Target has been revised to achieve reduction in PM10 level up to 40% over baseline  in  the  year  2019-20  or  achievement  of  national  ambient  air  quality  standards  (60 microgram/cubic meter) by 2025-26.

An amount of Rs 9.78 crore has been provided to Rishikesh from F.Y. 2019-20 till date as performance  linked  grant  for  the  implementation  of  city  action  plan  for  taking  air  quality improvement measures.

NCAP is implemented and monitored by Committees at National (Apex, Steering, Monitoring and Implementation); State (Steering and Monitoring); and City (Implementation) level. These Committees coordinate, monitor, evaluate progress and provide guidance for implementation of respective action plans. With respect to Rishikesh city, District Level Implementation and Monitoring Committee has been constituted under  the chairmanship of District Magistrate, Rishikesh on 06.09.2019 to periodically monitor the progress of implementation of city action plan.

Ministry  of  Heavy  Industries,  Government  of  India  promotes  the  electric  vehicles  through Electric Mobility Promotion Scheme 2024 (EMPS 2024). At present, there are total of 3772 evehicles available in Rishikesh, which include 2,508 public transport e-vehicles and 1,264 noncommercial e-vehicles.

The ambient air quality of Rishikesh city is being monitored by 04 stations (03 manual & 01 Real-time) and detailed as below -

| Real-Time                | Manual                |
|--------------------------|-----------------------|
| Shivaji Nagar, Rishikesh | Nagar Palika Parishad |
| Shivaji Nagar, Rishikesh | SPS Hospital          |
| Shivaji Nagar, Rishikesh | Natraj Hotel          |

The ambient air quality data of Rishikesh city during 2023 is tabulated below and depicts that SO2, NO2 and PM2.5 were observed within NAAQS whereas PM10 exceeded NAAQS.

| City      |   SO 2 |   NO 2 |   PM10 |   PM2.5 |
|-----------|--------|--------|--------|---------|
| Rishikesh |      8 |     11 |     77 |      37 |

Note: All the above values are in µg/m 3