Lok Sabha Question No. 1579 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-07-26
Subject: Air Quality Monitoring Stations
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: SATYA PAL SINGH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1579

TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.07.2016

## Air Quality Monitoring Stations

## 1579. SHRI SATYAPAL SINGH:

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

- (a)  whether  Greenpeace  has  claimed  on  the  basis  of  data  taken  from  the  American  Space Agency, NASA that Indian climate has worsened as compared to that of China;
- (b)  if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (c)   the number of air quality monitoring stations operational in the country as compared to China;
- (d)  whether the Government has any proposal to establish more/new monitoring stations and if so, the details thereof, Statewise; and
- (e)   the  steps  being  taken  for  an  effective  monitoring  system  and  long  term  policies  to minimize the level of air pollution?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

- (a) Yes, Sir.
- (b)  Green Peace India published a report titled 'Clean Air Action Plan: The Way Forward' in February,  2016.  The  report  stated  that  air  pollution  levels  in  India  have  risen  rapidly  in contrast to the improvement in average air quality in China. The report brought out by the Green Peace India is on the basis of NASA Satellite data which is based on extrapolated and constructed data without field validation.
- (c)    621  air  quality  monitoring  stations  under  National  Air  Quality  Monitoring Programme and 43 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (CAAQM) Stations  are operational in the country.
- (d)   Yes, Sir. The location of CAAQM stations proposed to be set up is annexed.
- (e) The major steps being taken by the Government for an effective monitoring system and long term policies to minimize the level of air pollution inter alia include the following:-
- (i) Notification of National Ambient Air Quality Standards;
- (ii) Formulation of environmental regulations / statutes;
- (iii) Strengthening 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 emission 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  for  prevention  and control of pollution;
- (xvii) Installation of on-line continuous (24x7) monitoring devices by major industries.

## Annexure

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARA  (d)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1579 DUE FOR REPLY ON 26.07.2016 REGARDING  AIR  QUALITY  MONITORING  STATIONS  BY  SHRI  SATYAPAL SINGH, HON'BLE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

## The proposed Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS)

- A. CAAQMS under installation in million  plus cities

1. Nagpur 2. Nasik 3. Aurangabad 4. Amritsar 5. Ludhiana 6. Howrah 7. Srinagar 8. Vijayawada 9. Ghaziabad 10. Coimbatore

- B. CAAQMS proposed in million plus cities
- C. CAAQMS proposed in 21 State Capitals including UTs
1. Kavaratti 2. Bhubaneswar 3. Shimla 4. Thiruvananthapuram
5. Gandhi Nagar 6. Panaji 7. Dehradun 8. Guwahati
9. Shillong 10. Imphal 11. Itanagar 12. Aizawl
13. Kohima 14. Gangtok 15. Agartala 16. Chandigarh
17. Puducherry 18. Port Blair 19. Silvassa 20. Daman
21. Amravati

|   1. | Vishakhapatnam   |   2. | Raipur      |   3. | Indore           |   4. | Jabalpur    |
|------|------------------|------|-------------|------|------------------|------|-------------|
|    5 | Dhanbad          |    6 | Bhopal      |    7 | Gwalior          |    8 | Ranchi      |
|    9 | Meerut           |   10 | Allahabad   |   11 | Pimpri-Chinchwad |   12 | Madurai     |
|   13 | Surat            |   14 | Vadodara    |   15 | Rajkot           |   16 | Vasai-Virar |
|   17 | Thane            |   18 | Navi Mumbai |   19 | Kalyan-Dombivali |   20 | Kota        |