Lok Sabha Question No. 189 (STARRED), answered on 2024-12-09
Subject: Funds to Curb Air Pollution in Chhattisgarh
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Vijay Baghel

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

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 189

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.12.2024

## Funds to Curb Air Pollution in Chhattisgarh

## *189.   SHRI VIJAY BAGHEL:

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

- (a) the details of the plan made by the Government to curb air pollution in metropolitan areas;
- (b) the details of funds earmarked to Municipal Corporation, Durg and Municipal Corporation, Bhilai  under  Durg  Parliamentary  Constituency,  Chhattisgarh  to  curb  the  air  pollution during the last three financial years;
- (c) whether the amount earmarked has been allocated to the said State Government or Local Government; and
- (d) if  so,  the  names of heads under which the released amount was utilised and the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BHUPENDER YADAV)

- (a) to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  OF  PARA  (a)  TO  (d)  OF  STARRED QUESTION NO. 189 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.12.2024 IN LOK SABHA RAISED BY SHRI VIJAY BAGHEL TITLED 'FUNDS TO CURB AIR POLLUTION IN CHHATTISGARH'

(a): National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in January 2019 with an aim to improve air quality in 130 cities (nonattainment cities and Million Plus Cities) including metropolitan cities in 24 States/UTs through implementation of National, State and City level clean air action plans. NCAP envisages reduction in PM10 levels up to 40% or achievement of national standards (60 microgram/cubic meter) by 2025-26.

City Specific Clean Air Action Plans have been prepared by all cities to implement air quality improvement measures in respective cities. These plans target air pollution sources like soil & road dust,  vehicular  emissions,  waste  burning,  Construction  &  Demolition  activities,  and  industrial pollution. In addition, funding for implementation of city Action Plans (CAPs) is mobilized through the convergence of resources from various Central Government schemes such as Swachh Bharat Mission, Urban (SBM-U), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Smart City Mission (SCM), Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT), Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME-II), and Nagar Van Yojana (NVY),  as  well  as  resources  from  State/UT  Governments  and  agencies  like  Municipal Corporations and Urban Development authorities.

An  allocation  of  Rs.  19,611  crore  has  been  made  for  130  cities.  It  includes  Rs.16,539  crore allocation  to  48  million  plus  cities  through  15th  Finance  Million  Plus  City  Challenge  Fund (MPCCF) for the period FY 2021-22 to 2025-26, and Rs.3072 crore to remaining 82 cities through Control  of  Pollution  Scheme  of  MoEFCC  for  the  period  FY  2019-20  till  2025-26.  These  are performance linked grants for critical gap funding to implement air pollution mitigation measures, and an amount of Rs. 11,211.13 crore has been released based on achievement of air pollution reduction targets in respective cities.

Due to efforts made under the programme, 97 cities out of 130 cities have shown improvement in air quality in terms of annual PM10 concentrations in FY 2023-24 with respect to the levels of FY 2017-18. 55 cities have achieved reduction of 20% and above in PM10 levels in 2023-24 with respect  to  the  levels  of  2017-18.  18  cities  have  met  National  Ambient  Air  Quality  Standards (NAAQS) for PM10 (60 μg/m3) in FY 2023-24.

Some  of  the  key  measures  taken  by  the  Central  Government  for  air  quality  management  are enclosed at Annexure I .

(b) to (d): An allocation of Rs. 202 crore during FY 2019-20 to FY 2025-26 has been made under NCAP through XVth Finance Commission Million Plus City Challenge Fund (MPCCF)  and funds from Control of Pollution (CP) Scheme of MoEF&CC to Durg-Bhilai Urban Agglomeration (UA) for implementing clean air action plan.

The  funds  under  MPCCF  are  released  by  Department  of  Expenditure,  Govt.  of  India  to  State Government for the further release to  the  urban  local  bodies.  The  funds  under  CP  scheme  are released by MoEF&CC to CPCB (Central Nodal Agency), which further releases to Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (State Nodal Agency), for onward release to urban local bodies.

Out of the allocated funds, Rs. 118.35 crore has been released for the period FY 2019-20 to 202324 to Bhilai Municipal Corporation on the basis of air quality performance for implementing air quality improvement measures in Durg-Bhilai UA. Subsequently, the funds have been distributed to 7 urban local bodies including Durg Municipal Corporation. Details of allocation, release and utilization of funds to Durg-Bhilai UA during FY 2019-20 to FY 2023-24 are enclosed at Annexure II. Details of funds utilized under different heads by Durg-Bhilai UA are provided at Annexure III.

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## Measures taken by the Central Government for air quality management:

- i. Emission  standards  for  more  than  80  industries  have  been  notified  under  Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986
- ii. Emission standards recently notified/revised:
- a) Thermal power plants
- b) Diesel/petrol/CNG generator sets
- c) Industrial boilers;
- d) Lime Kilns
- e) Brick kilns and conversion of zig-zag technology
- f) Calcinated petcoke industry
- g) Hot mix plants
- iii. Leapfrogging to Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emissions norms from 1st April 2020
- iv. Vehicle Scrapping Policy, Rules for Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities and Automated Testing Stations by MoRTH
- v. Waste  management  rules  for  solid  waste,  plastic  waste,  hazardous  waste,  e-waste,  battery waste, biomedical waste, 100% ash utilisation by Thermal Power Plants
- vi. Market-based  Extended  Producer  Responsibility  (EPR)  regulations  introduced  for  waste categories, viz. plastic packaging, e-waste, battery waste, waste tyres & used oil
- vii. 12 identified Single-Use Plastics (SUP) having high littering potential and low utility were banned from 1st July, 2022
- viii. Mandate for utilisation of minimum 5% of crop residue along with coal (pellets/brickettes) in thermal power plants in NCR and adjoining areas
- ix. Categorization  of  industrial  areas  as  Critically  and  Severely  Polluted  Areas  (CPAs/SPAs) based on Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI).

Annexure II Details of release and utilization of funds to Durg-Bhilai Urban Agglomeration during

FY 2019-20 till FY 2023-24

| S.No.   | Name of Urban Local                  | Release of Funds (Rs. in crores)   | Release of Funds (Rs. in crores)   | Release of Funds (Rs. in crores)   | Release of Funds (Rs. in crores)   | Release of Funds (Rs. in crores)   | Fund utilization (Rs. in Cr)   |
|---------|--------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|--------------------------------|
| S.No.   | Body                                 | FY 2019-20                         | FY 2020-21                         | FY 2021-22                         | FY 2022-23                         | Grand Total                        | Fund utilization (Rs. in Cr)   |
| 1       | Bhilai Municipal Corporation         | 6.00                               | 22.40                              | 14.37                              | 11.63                              | 54.40                              | 34.26                          |
| 2       | Durg Municipal Corporation           | -                                  | 12.69                              | 8.14                               | 6.59                               | 27.42                              | 17.73                          |
| 3       | Risali Municipal Corporation         | -                                  | 6.41                               | 4.12                               | 3.33                               | 13.87                              | 10.27                          |
| 4       | Bhilai Charoda Municipal Corporation | -                                  | 5.44                               | 3.49                               | 2.83                               | 11.77                              | 7.60                           |
| 5       | Kumhari Municipal Council            | -                                  | 2.44                               | 1.57                               | 1.27                               | 5.29                               | 2.60                           |
| 6       | Jamul Municipal Council              | -                                  | 2.16                               | 1.39                               | 1.12                               | 4.68                               | 2.00                           |
| 7       | Utai Nagar Panchayat                 | -                                  | 0.42                               | 0.27                               | 0.22                               | 0.92                               | 0.49                           |
| Total   | Total                                | 6.00                               | 52.00                              | 33.35                              | 27.00                              | 118.35                             | 74.95 (63.3%)                  |

## Funds earmarked to Durg-Bhilai UA during last 3 years (FY 2021-22 till FY 2023-24)

Rs. in Crore

| FY 2021-22   | FY 2021-22   | FY 2022-23   | FY 2022-23   | FY 2023-24   | FY 2023-24   | Total Allocation   | Total   |
|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------------|---------|
| Allocation   | Release      | Allocation   | Release      | Allocation   | Release      |                    | Release |
| 26.00        | 33.35*       | 27.00        | 27.00        | 29.00        | -            | 82.00              | 60.35   |

Annexure III

Details of funds utilized by Durg-Bhilai UA under NCAP

| S.No.   | Heads to abate air pollution   |   Amount (Rs. In Crore) | Percentage contribution (%)   |
|---------|--------------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------------|
| 1       | Road dust management           |                   71.25 | 94.57                         |
| 2       | Capacity building programme    |                    3.15 | 4.18                          |
| 3       | Control of biomass burning     |                    0.33 | 0.44                          |
| 4       | Public Outreach activities     |                    0.03 | 0.04                          |
| Total   | Total                          |                   75.34 |                               |

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