Lok Sabha Question No. 384 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-19
Subject: Pollution in Cities
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: DUSHYANT CHAUTALA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 384

TO BE ANSWERED ON 19.07.2016

## Pollution in Cities

## 384.   SHRI DUSHYANT CHAUTALA:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that incidents of deaths due to environmental pollution and number of polluted cities have increased recently in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has undertaken any survey to identify the most polluted cities in the country and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government has initiated any action plan to tackle the impact of pollution in cities and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

(a)  to  (c)          Central  Pollution  Control  Board  (CPCB)  in  association  with  State  Pollution Control  Boards  (SPCBs)  /  Pollution  Control  Committees  (PCCs),  National  Environmental Engineering Research Institute and IIT, Kanpur is monitoring the ambient air quality across the country under the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP). The NAMP network presently comprises 621 operating monitoring stations located in 262 cities/towns in 29 states and 5 union territories.  CPCB was monitoring ambient air quality in 201 cities/towns in the year  2011  and  257  cities/towns  in  2015.    The  analysis  of  annual  average  concentration  of ambient air quality in 2011 revealed that 162 cities exceeded the standard of  60 µg/m 3 with respect to PM10 and 25 cities exceeded the standard of 40 µg/m 3 with respect to NO2 whereas the data of 2015 reveals that 180 cities exceeded the standard of with respect to PM10 and 19 cities exceeded the standard with respect to NO2. There are no conclusive data available in the country  to  establish  direct  correlationship  between  death  and  environmental  pollution.  Air Pollution could be one of the triggering factors for respiratory ailments and associated diseases. Health  effects  of  air  pollution  are  synergistic  manifestation  of  factors  which  include  food habits, occupational habits, socio-economic status, medical history, immunity, heredity etc. of the individuals.

- (d) The  major  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  control  pollution inter  alia include the following:-
- (i) Notification of National Ambient Air Quality Standards;
- (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 (CNG, LPG etc.), ethanol blend etc.;
- (v) Promotion of cleaner production processes.
- (vi) Launching of National Air Quality index by the Prime Minister in April, 2015;
- (vii) Implementation  of  Bharat  Stage  IV  (BS-IV)  norms  in  63  selected  cities  and universalization of BS-IV by 2017;
- (viii) Decision  taken  to  leapfrog  directly  from  BS-IV  to  BS-VI  fuel  standards  by  1st April, 2020;
- (ix) Taxing polluting vehicles and incentivizing hybrid and electric vehicles;
- (x) Comprehensive  amendments  to  various Waste  Management  Rules  including Municipal Solid Waste, Plastic Waste, Hazardous Waste, Bio-medical Waste and Electronic Waste notified;
- (xi) Notification of Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules;
- (xii) Ban on burning of leaves, biomass, municipal solid waste;
- (xiii) Promotion of public transport network of metro, buses, e-rickshaws and promotion of car pooling, Pollution Under Control, lane discipline, vehicle maintenance;
- (xiv) Revision of existing environmental standards and formulation of new standards for prevention and control of pollution from industries;
- (xv) Regular co-ordination meetings at official and ministerial level with Delhi and other State Governments within the NCR;
- (xvi) 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 and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981;
- (xvii) Installation of on-line continuous (24x7) monitoring devices by major industries.

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