Lok Sabha Question No. 1214 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-11
Subject: National Clean Air Programme
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Jagannath Sarkar

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1214

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2023

## National Clean Air Programme

## 1214.    SHRI JAGANNATH SARKAR

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

- (a) whether the Government is taking steps to address the uneven progress and pace of implementation under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP);
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether there is a shortage of air quality monitoring stations in the country;
- (d) if  so,  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  expedite  the  expansion  of  air  quality monitoring stations in the country;
- (e) whether the steps have been taken to address the gap between the Centre's allocations and the actual funds received by States as well as varying levels of fund utilization among States under the Control of Pollution Scheme; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reason is therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND

CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

## (a) & (b):

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) has been launched in January, 2019 which is a long-term, time-bound national level strategy for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution. Under NCAP, it has been envisaged to achieve target of 20 to 30% reduction in Particulate Matter concentrations by 2024 in 131 cities of 24 States/UTs with respect to base year 2017. Subsequently, the target has been revised to achieve up to 40% reduction or achieve National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in terms PM concentrations by 2025-26.

Due to implementation of city action plans under NCAP, 90 cities out of 131 cities have shown improvement in air quality in terms of annual PM10 concentrations in FY 2022-23 with  respect  to  the  baseline  of  FY  2017-18.  15  cities  have  met  National  Ambient  Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM10 (60 µg/m3) in FY 2022-23. Details of progress made by the cities in meeting air quality targets in FY 2022-23 of 131 cities are enclosed at Annexure I

## (c) & (d):

Guidelines  for  criteria  for  establishing  air  quality  monitoring  stations  based  on  the population of a city/town, have been issued by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Based on the guidelines, ambient air quality monitoring is carried out in 516 cities/towns in the country having 1449 air quality monitoring stations out which 26 monitoring stations are part of rural areas.

Further, an amount of ₹ 70.37 crore has been sanctioned in FY 2022-23 under National Ambient Air Quality Programme (NAMP) for providing financial assistance to States/UTs for establishment, operation and maintenance of Air Quality Monitoring Stations.

## (e) & (f):

Funds  to  82  Non-attainment  Cities  under  NCAP  of  Control  of  Pollution  Scheme  are allocated based on the guidelines for 'Release and utilization of funds under National Clean Air Programme' issued by MoEF&CC and released based on achievement of prescribed annual air pollution reduction targets in terms of PM10 concentrations.

To  meet  the  objectives  of  NCAP,  131  cities  have  prepared  City  Action  Plans  to  take measures  to  improve  air  quality.  To  review  the  monitoring  and  implementation  of  the programme, committees have been constituted at Central, State and City levels. State-wise details of release and utilization of funds against the allocation made during FY 2019-20 till 2023-24 till date are provided at Annexure II

## Details of progress made by 131 cities in the improvement of air quality in the FY 202223 as against FY 2017-18

| S. No.   |   No. of Cities/Towns | Percentage improvement in PM 10 concentrations in FY 2022- 23 as against FY 2017-18 (%)   |
|----------|-----------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 1        |                    15 | >40                                                                                       |
| 2        |                    11 | >30-40                                                                                    |
| 3        |                    23 | >20-30                                                                                    |
| 4        |                    16 | 10-20                                                                                     |
| 5        |                    66 | <10                                                                                       |
| Total    |                   131 |                                                                                           |

## State-wise details of allocation, release & utilization of funds for 82 NACs under control of Pollution Scheme for the period of FY 2019-20 to FY 2023-24

| S. No.   | State            |   Allocation of funds for FY 2019-20 to FY 2023-24 (Rs. in Crores) |   Fund Released (Till Nov. 2023) (Rs. in Crores) |   Utilization of Fund (Till Nov. 2023) (Rs. in Crores) |
|----------|------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh   |                                                             121.11 |                                            82.59 |                                                  35.98 |
| 2        | Chandigarh       |                                                              37.07 |                                            28.78 |                                                  12.96 |
| 3        | Chhattisgarh     |                                                              17.1  |                                            15.85 |                                                   9.64 |
| 4        | Gujrat           |                                                              12    |                                            12    |                                                   6    |
| 5        | Himachal Pradesh |                                                              18.25 |                                            14.31 |                                                  13.24 |
| 6        | Jammu &Kashmir   |                                                             126.66 |                                            80.85 |                                                  15.93 |
| 7        | Jharkhand        |                                                               6    |                                             6    |                                                   5.47 |
| 8        | Karnataka        |                                                              75.2  |                                            48.67 |                                                  12.34 |
| 9        | Madhya Pradesh   |                                                              66.3  |                                            48.44 |                                                  17.61 |
| 10       | Maharashtra      |                                                             214.17 |                                           164.02 |                                                  59.62 |
| 11       | Odisha           |                                                              81.14 |                                            64.49 |                                                  46.06 |
| 12       | Punjab           |                                                             111.05 |                                            75.92 |                                                  18.07 |
| 13       | Rajasthan        |                                                              58.98 |                                            47.73 |                                                  10.12 |
| 14       | Tamil Nadu       |                                                              13.7  |                                            11.27 |                                                   7.15 |
| 15       | Telangana        |                                                              21.04 |                                            18.03 |                                                  12.17 |
| 16       | Uttar Pradesh    |                                                             471.66 |                                           306.99 |                                                 109.7  |
| 17       | Uttarakhand      |                                                              74    |                                            53.68 |                                                  16.77 |
| 18       | West Bengal      |                                                              73.34 |                                            57.97 |                                                  24.77 |
| 19       | Bihar            |                                                              41.91 |                                            33.43 |                                                  21.58 |
| 20       | Assam            |                                                              55.52 |                                            45.28 |                                                  19.45 |
| 21       | Nagaland         |                                                              16.77 |                                            13.7  |                                                   1.62 |
| 22       | Meghalaya        |                                                               6.5  |                                             5.48 |                                                   2.84 |
| 23       | Delhi            |                                                              46.19 |                                            38.22 |                                                  10.77 |
| Total    |                  |                                                            1768.66 |                                          1273.7  |                                                 489.86 |

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