Lok Sabha Question No. 2857 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-15
Subject: Air Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: PONNUSAMY VENUGOPAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2857

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.03.2016

## Air Pollution

## 2857. DR. P. VENUGOPAL:

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

- (a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  India  does  not  have  any  mechanism  to  bring  down  peak  air pollution levels and if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (b) whether a lot of standardization work needs to be done to get all cities and all monitoring stations comparable; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI   PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

(a) to (c) The Government has notified National Ambient Air Quality Standards envisaging 12 pollutants  to  control  air  pollution  under  the  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986.  These norms have been formulated to adopt uniform methodology for measurement of air pollutants with  the  help  of  network  of  612  monitoring  stations  set  up  across  the  country.  The Government  has  also  notified  emission  standards  for  on-road  vehicles  and  mass  emission Transport  Departments  of  the  State  Governments  through  Pollution  Under  Control  (PUC) regime. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has set up a mechanism called 'Environmental Surveillance Squad' (ESS) programme for carrying out surprise inspections of industrial units based on adoption of a uniform approach and elimination of subjectivity in scheduling  of  inspection.  The  role  of  State  Pollution  Control  Boards  /  Pollution  Control Committees is critical in enforcing the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

The steps taken by the Government to mitigate air pollution in cities in the country include the following:-

- (i) Notification of National Ambient Air Quality Standards envisaging 12 pollutants;
- (ii) Formulation of environmental regulations / statutes;
- (iii) Setting up of monitoring network for assessment of ambient air quality;
- (iv) Introduction of cleaner / alternate fuels like gaseous fuel, ethanol blend etc. replacing petrol and diesel;
- (v) Promotion of cleaner production processes;

Taking note of the gravity of Air Pollution, the Government has taken some more measures which include:

- (i) Launched National Air Quality index by the Prime Minister in April, 2015 starting with 10 cities and now extended to 23 cities; (ii) Implementation  of  Bharat  Stage  IV  (BS-IV)  norms  in  63  selected  cities  and universalization of BS-IV by 2017; (iii) Decision taken to leapfrog directly from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards by 1 st April, 2020; (iv) Comprehensive  review  of  all  Waste  Management  Rules  including  Municipal  Solid Waste, Plastic Waste, Hazardous Waste, Bio-medical Waste and Electronic Waste. (v) Ban on burning of leaves, biomass, municipal solid waste; (vi) Promotion of public transport network of metro, buses, e-rickshaws and promotion of car pooling, Pollution Under Control, lane discipline, vehicle maintenance; (vii) Revision of existing  environmental  standards  and  formulation  of  new  standards  for prevention and control of pollution from industries. (viii) Regular co-ordination meetings at official and ministerial level with Delhi and other State Governments within the NCR. Issuance  of  directions  under  Section  5  of  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986  and under Section 18(1)(b) of  Water  (Prevention  and  Control  of  Pollution)  Act,  1974
- (ix) and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
- (x) Installation of on-line continuous (24x7) monitoring devices by major industries.

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