Lok Sabha Question No. 1205 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-08
Subject: Steps to Check Ground Level Ozone
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Dushyant Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1205

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.12.2025

## Steps to Check Ground Level Ozone

1205.  SHRI DUSHYANT SINGH:

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

- (a) whether the Government maintains any data pertaining to the unsafe levels of ground level ozone in major cities across the country, if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  the  details  of  anthropogenic  factors  contributing  to  the  high  concentration  of  ground  level ozone during the summer season; and
- (c) the measures taken by the Government to ensure that the concentration of ground level ozone in the air is within safe limits?

## ANSWER

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

- (a)  to  (c): National  Ambient  Air  Quality  Standards  (NAAQS)  have  been  notified  for  12  air pollutants including ground level Ozone. The current level of major air pollutants including O3 is available in Portal of Central Control Room for Air Quality Management, pertaining to CPCB.

Ground level Ozone is a secondary pollutant and formed through complex photochemical reactions between  volatile  Organic  Compounds  (VOC)  and  Oxides  of  Nitrogen  Oxides  (NOx).  NOx  is emitted from combustion of coal, gasoline and oil in industrial operations, motor vehicles and power plants. VOCs are mainly released through gasoline combustion and distribution, upstream oil and gas production, wood burning, and the evaporation of solvents and liquid fuels.

The steps taken to control the precursors of ozone, i.e. NOx and VOC emissions are provided at Annexure I.

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## Steps taken to control the precursors of ozone emissions

-  Introduction of BS VI-compliant vehicles across the country since April, 2020 have reduced NOx emissions as compared to erstwhile BS IV-compliant vehicles, with 70-85% reduction in the case of 2-wheelers, 25%-68% in the case of 4-wheelers, and 87% in the case of heavy-duty vehicles.
-  Government launched PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PME Drive) and PM e-Bus Sewa to promote electric mobility, resulting in zero vehicular emissions.
-  Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019 as a long-term, time-bound, national-level strategy to address air pollution in 130 non-attainment and million plus cities/urban agglomeration in 24 States/UTs. City  Specific  Clean  Air  Action  Plans  have  been  prepared  by  all  130  cities  under  NCAP  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.
-  Industrial emission Standards for NOx and VOCs have been revised / introduced for various sectors  such  as  Man-made  Fiber  industry,  Fertilizer  Industry,  Pharmaceutical  industry,  Paint industry etc.
-  NOx emission standards have also been prescribed for coal/lignite-based thermal power plants, industrial  boilers,  furnaces,  Cement  Plant  (without  co-processing  of  wastes)  and  Standalone Clinker Grinding Plants.
-  Vapour Recovery System (VRS) has been installed at all Delhi-NCR petrol pumps.
-  VRS has been installed at those pumps selling more than 100 KL per month petrol and located in million plus cities and selling more than 300 KL per month petrol and located in cities with population more than 1 lakh.
-  Promotion of public transport and improvements in roads.
-  Streamlining the issuance of Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificate.
-  Banning of burning of biomass and garbage.
-  Implementation of waste management rules w.r.t solid waste, bio-medical waste, and hazardous wastes etc.
-  To control Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), MoEF&CC has notified the Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, that control the use, import, and export of ODSs in India.

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