Lok Sabha Question No. 800 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-01
Subject: Air/Water Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: KRISHNA RAJ

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.800

TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.03.2016

## Air/Water Pollution

## 800. SHRIMATI KRISHNA RAJ:

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

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the increasing air and water pollution day by day in the country;
- (b) if so, the steps being taken by the Government to check the same;
- (c) whether the Bio-Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) is also continuously increasing; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## (SHRI   PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

(a)  to  (d)        Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  in  association  with  State  Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) / Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) is monitoring air and water bodies across the country under National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) and National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP). Three air pollutants viz. Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM) of size less than or equal to 10 micron (PM10) are being monitored at all the locations. The air quality data for 41 major cities for the year 2015 indicate that all the cities were within the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) of 50 µg/m 3 in respect of SO2, 9 cities exceed the NAAQS of 40 µg/m 3 in respect of NOx, 38 cities exceed NAAQS of 60 µg/m 3 in respect of PM10. Out of 15 cities,  6  cities  exceed  the  NAAQS  of  40  µg/m 3 in  respect  of  PM2.5.  The  water  quality monitoring of water bodies at 2500 locations across the country under NWMP indicate that organic pollution is the predominant cause of water pollution which results in increase in Biochemical  Oxygen  Demand  (BOD).  Based  on  the  BOD  concentration  criteria,  CPCB  has 2015 against 150 polluted river stretches in 2008. The river stretches are polluted mainly due to discharge of untreated / partially treated sewage and discharge of industrial wastewater.

Major steps taken by the Government to address the issues of air and water pollution in the country include the following:-

- Launched  National  Air  Quality  index  by  the  Prime  Minister  in  April,  2015  starting with 14 cities and now extended to 22 cities;
- Notification of National Ambient Air Quality Standards 2009, envisaging 12 pollutants;
- Implementation  of Bharat Stage IV (BS-IV)  norms  in 63 selected cities and universalization of BS-IV by 2017;
- Decision taken to leapfrog directly from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards;
- Ban on burning of leaves, biomass, municipal solid waste;
- Introduction of cleaner / alternate fuels like gaseous fuel, ethanol blend etc. replacing petrol and diesel;
- Promotion of public transport network of metro, buses, e-rickshaws and promotion of car pooling, Pollution Under Control, vehicle maintenance;
- Promotion of cleaner production processes;
- Action to comply with effluent standards is taken by SPCBs / PCCs to improve the water quality of the rivers;
- Installation of Common Effluent Treatment Plants for cluster of Small Scale Industrial units;
- Issuance of directions for implementation of Zero Liquid Discharge;
- Preparation of action plan for sewage management and restoration of water quality in aquatic resources by State Governments;
- Installation of Online Effluent Monitoring System to check the discharge of effluent directly into the rivers and water bodies;
- Setting up of monitoring network for assessment of ambient air and water quality;
- Formulation of stricter regulations/ rules;
- Issuance  of  directions  under  Section  5  of  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986  to industries and under Section 18(1)(b) of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

*****