Lok Sabha Question No. 109 (STARRED), answered on 2015-07-28
Subject: National Ambient Air Quality Standards
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: SUSHMITA DEV, RAJESH RANJAN  (PAPPU  YADAV)

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

**LOK SABHA**

**STARRED QUESTION NO. 109**

TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.07.2015

**National Ambient Air Quality Standards**

*109. 	KUMARI SUSHMITA DEV:

SHRI RAJESH RANJAN:

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

1. the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) notified by the Government/Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB);
2. whether the Government/CPCB monitors and assess the ambient air quality status across the country and if so, the details thereof including air pollutants which were found above NAAQS in major cities/towns as per the latest survey;
3. whether the Government has formulated an action plan/policy that involves effective coordination with States to bring down the level of air pollutants to permissible limits, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
4. the other measures taken by the Government to improve the quality of air by reducing air pollutants through strict enforcement of regulations on polluters?

**ANSWER**

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST

(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

(a)  to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House

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**Statement referred to in reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 109 due for reply on 28.07.2015 regarding National Ambient Air Quality Standards' by KUMARI SUSHMITA DEV and SHRI RAJESH RANJAN, Hon'ble Members of Parliament**

(a)  The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) notified by the Government are at Annexure-I.

(b) The ambient air quality is monitored at 593 locations in 249 cities, towns and industrial areas across 28 States and 5 Union Territories by CPCB in association with the concerned State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees for UTs for SO 2 , NO 2 , and PM 10 under National Air Monitoring Programme (NAMP). The data so received under NAMP for 46 million plus cities has been analysed for 2012, 2013 and 2014.  The levels of NO2 (annual average) exceeded in 9 cities whereas levels of PM 10 (annual average) exceeded the norms in 39 cities during 2014 (Annexure- II).

(c) CPCB identified 17 categories of highly polluting industry for preventing, abating and controlling air and water pollution at source.  Also, 43 critically polluted areas have been identified across the country for priority action to improve environmental conditions in the areas in association with State Pollution Control Boards. On line continuous (24x7) emission and effluent monitoring scheme, as a self regulatory tool for industry, has been launched by the Government on 30.06.2015 for 17 categories of highly polluting industry.

4. The Government has taken several measures to mitigate air pollution which interalia  include:

- Notification of National Ambient Air Quality Standards 2009, envisaging 12 pollutants;
- Formulation of regulations/statutes including stringent source specific standards  for industries to address the rising levels of air pollution in the country;
- Setting up of monitoring network for assessment of ambient air quality;
- Execution of source apportionment studies in select cities and formulation of action plans for air quality in cities;
- Implementation of Bharat Stage IV norms in the 63 selected cities and Bharat Stage III norms in rest of the country;
- Introduction of cleaner/alternate fuel like CNG, LPG etc. and promotion of public transport network including Metro;
- Creation of infrastructure for industrial pollution control incorporating cleaner production processes, setting up of common pollution control facilities;
- National Air Quality Index was launched in April, 2015;
- Regular co-ordination meetings are being held at official and ministerial level with Delhi and other State Governments within the National Capital Regions (NCR);
- Short-term and long-term plans have been formulated to mitigate pollution in Delhi.

*************

**Annexure- I referred in Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 109 due for reply on 28.07.2015 regarding 'National Ambient Air Quality Standards' by KUMARI SUSHMITA DEV and SHRI RAJESH RANJAN, Hon'ble Members of Parliament**

**CENTRAL POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD**

### NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS

New Delhi the 18 th November 2009

In exercise of the powers conferred by Sub-section (2) (h) of section 16 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 (Act No. 14 of 1981), and in supersession of the notification No(s).S.O.384(E), dated 11 th April 1994 and S.O.935(E), dated 14 th October 1998, the Central Pollution Control Board hereby notify the National Ambient Air Quality Standards with immediate effect

| ## Pollutant                                                                    | **Time Weighted**  **Average**   | **Concentration in Ambient Air**                   |                                                                  | **Methods of Measurement**                                                                              |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|                                                                                 |                                  | **Industrial, Residential, Rural and other Areas** | **Ecologically Sensitive Area (Notified by Central Government)** |                                                                                                         |
| **Sulphur Dioxide (SO**  **2**  **), µg/m**  **3**                              | Annual *  24 Hours **            | 50  80                                             | 20  80                                                           | -Improved West and Gaeke Method  -Ultraviolet Fluorescence                                              |
| **Nitrogendioxide (NO**  **2**  **), µg/m**  **3**                              | Annual *  24 Hours **            | 40  80                                             | 30  80                                                           | -Jacob &Hochheiser modified (NaOH-NaAsO  2  ) Method  -Gas Phase Chemiluminescence                  |
| **Particulate Matter (Size less than 10µm) or PM**  **10**  **, µg/m**  **3**   | Annual *  24 Hours **            | 60  100                                            | 60  100                                                          | -Gravimetric  -TEOM  -Beta attenuation                                                                  |
| **Particulate Matter (Size less than 2.5µm) or PM**  **2.5**  **, µg/m**  **3** | Annual *  24 Hours **            | 40  60                                             | 40  60                                                           | -Gravimetric  -TEOM  -Beta attenuation                                                                  |
| **Ozone (O**  **3**  **) , µg/m**  **3**                                        | 8 Hours *  1 Hour **             | 100  180                                           | 100  180                                                         | -UV Photometric  -Chemiluminescence  -Chemical Method                                                   |
| **Lead (Pb) , µg/m**  **3**                                                     | Annual *  24 Hours **            | 0.50  1.0                                          | 0.50  1.0                                                        | -AAS/ICP Method after  sampling on EPM 2000 or equivalent filter paper  -ED-XRF using Teflon filter     |
| **Carbon Monoxide (CO), mg/m**  **3**                                           | 8 Hours **  1 Hour **            | 02  04                                             | 02  04                                                           | -Non dispersive Infrared (NDIR) Spectroscopy                                                            |
| **Ammonia (NH**  **3**  **), µg/m**  **3**                                      | Annual *  24 Hours **            | 100  400                                           | 100  400                                                         | -Chemiluminescence  -Indophenol blue method                                                             |
| **Benzene (C**  **6**  **H**  **6**  **), µg/m**  **3**                         | Annual *                         | 05                                                 | 05                                                               | -Gas Chromatography  (GC) based continuous analyzer  -Adsorption and desorption followed by GC analysis |
| **Benzo(a)Pyrene (BaP) Particulate phase only, ng/m**  **3**                    | Annual *                         | 01                                                 | 01                                                               | -Solvent extraction followed byHPLC/GC analysis                                                         |
| **Arsenic (As), ng/m**  **3**                                                   | Annual *                         | 06                                                 | 06                                                               | -AAS/ICP Method after  sampling on EPM 2000 or equivalent filter paper                                  |
| **Nickel (Ni), ng/m**  **3**                                                    | Annual *                         | 20                                                 | 20                                                               | -AAS/ICP Method after  sampling on EPM 2000 or equivalent filter paper                                  |

*     Annual Arithmetic mean of minimum 104 measurements in a year at a particular site taken twice a week 24 hourly at uniform intervals.

**   24 hourly or 8 hourly or 1 hourly monitored values, as applicable, shall be complied with 98% of the time in a year.  2% of the time, they may exceed the limits but not on two consecutive days of monitoring.

**NOTE:** Whenever and wherever monitoring results on two consecutive days of monitoring exceed the limits specified above for the respective category, it shall be considered adequate reason to institute regular or continuous monitoring and further investigations.

**Annexure- II referred in Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 109 due for reply on 28.07.2015 regarding National Ambient Air Quality Standards' by KUMARI SUSHMITA DEV and SHRI RAJESH RANJAN, Hon'ble Members of Parliament**

**Air quality status of million plus cities for 2012, 2013 and 2014**

**(Annual average (µg/m** **3** **)**

| **S. No.**   | **City**              | **State**         | **2012**      |               |                | **2013**      |               |                | **2014**      |               |                |
|--------------|-----------------------|-------------------|---------------|---------------|----------------|---------------|---------------|----------------|---------------|---------------|----------------|
|              |                       |                   | **SO**  **2** | **NO**  **2** | **PM**  **10** | **SO**  **2** | **NO**  **2** | **PM**  **10** | **SO**  **2** | **NO**  **2** | **PM**  **10** |
|              | Agra                  | Uttar Pradesh     | 5             | 23            | 196*           | 5             | 21            | 184*           | 8             | 12            | 182*           |
|              | Ahmedabad             | Gujarat           | 12            | 24            | 83*            | 12            | 17            | 79*            | 13            | 20            | 85*            |
|              | Allahabad             | Uttar Pradesh     | 4             | 32            | 317*           | 5             | 29            | 235*           | 4             | 28            | 250*           |
|              | Amritsar              | Punjab            | 15            | 39            | 202*           | 13            | 40            | 180*           | 14            | 42*           | 187*           |
|              | Aurangabad            | Maharashtra       | 9             | 32            | 80*            | 10            | 37            | 84*            | 12            | 39            | 85*            |
|              | Bangalore (BBMP)      | Karnataka         | 14            | 28            | 121*           | 13            | 26            | 113*           | 13            | 30            | 140*           |
|              | Bhopal                | Madhya Pradesh    | 3             | 21            | 173*           | 3             | 26            | 220*           | 2             | 20            | 156*           |
|              | Chennai               | Tamilnadu         | 12            | 21            | 57             | 14            | 22            | 75*            | 13            | 22            | 59             |
|              | Coimbatore            | Tamilnadu         | 3             | 27            | 68*            | 4             | 24            | 56             | 5             | 25            | 48             |
|              | Delhi (DMC)           | Delhi             | 5             | 59*           | 237*           | 4             | 66*           | 221*           | 5             | 61*           | 215*           |
|              | Dhanbad               | Jharkhand         | 17            | 40            | 178*           | 16            | 40            | 151*           | 14            | 37            | 162*           |
|              | Faridabad             | Haryana           | 12            | 38            | 184*           | 12            | 26            | 196*           | 13            | 25            | 197*           |
|              | Ghaziabad             | Uttar Pradesh     | 30            | 34            | 248*           | 26            | 34            | 285*           | 26            | 39            | 246*           |
|              | Gwalior               | Madhya Pradesh    | 13            | 27            | 329*           | 13            | 27            | 197*           | 11            | 17            | 148*           |
|              | Howrah                | West Bengal       | 13            | 40            | 186*           | 11            | 45*           | 187*           | -             | -             | -              |
|              | Hyderabad (GH)        | Telangana         | 4             | 28            | 79*            | 5             | 24            | 90*            | 5             | 24            | 98*            |
|              | Indore                | Madhya Pradesh    | 12            | 20            | 143*           | 11            | 19            | 156*           | 11            | 20            | 144*           |
|              | Jabalpur              | Madhya Pradesh    | 2             | 24            | 75*            | 2             | 23            | 69*            | 2             | 23            | 69*            |
|              | Jaipur                | Rajasthan         | 9             | 52*           | 187*           | 7             | 40            | 160*           | 7             | 41*           | 154*           |
|              | Jodhpur               | Rajasthan         | 6             | 24            | 189*           | 5             | 23            | 176*           | 7             | 31            | 189*           |
|              | Kalyan Dombivali      | Maharashtra       | IA            | IA            | 114*           | 25            | 54*           | 91*            | 40            | 77*           | 141*           |
|              | Kanpur                | Uttar Pradesh     | 8             | 34            | 215*           | 7             | 31            | 201*           | 5             | 37            | 199*           |
|              | Kolkata               | West Bengal       | 12            | 70*           | 135*           | 11            | 70*           | 159*           | 15            | IA            | 107*           |
|              | Kota                  | Rajasthan         | 8             | 32            | 156*           | 7             | 33            | 122*           | 7             | 35            | 128*           |
|              | Lucknow               | Uttar Pradesh     | 8             | 32            | 211*           | 8             | 29            | 192*           | 8             | 28            | 175*           |
|              | Ludhiana              | Punjab            | 11            | 27            | 228*           | 11            | 26            | 204*           | 10            | 26            | 152*           |
|              | Madurai               | Tamilnadu         | 14            | 30            | 48             | 14            | 22            | 41             | 13            | 26            | 45             |
|              | Meerut                | Uttar Pradesh     | 4             | 43*           | 129*           | 5             | 39            | 134*           | 8             | 48*           | 154*           |
|              | Mumbai                | Maharashtra       | 5             | 20            | 117*           | 3             | 13            | 117*           | 4             | 20            | 95*            |
|              | Nagpur                | Maharashtra       | 10            | 32            | 103*           | 8             | 27            | 89*            | 10            | 25            | 93*            |
|              | Nashik                | Maharashtra       | 24            | 27            | 95*            | 28            | 29            | 85*            | 25            | 26            | 73*            |
|              | Navi Mumbai           | Maharashtra       | 17            | 43*           | 120*           | 17            | 44*           | 137*           | 18            | 40            | 151*           |
|              | Patna                 | Bihar             | 6             | 36            | 166*           | -             | -             | -              | -             | -             | -              |
|              | Pimpri Chinchwad      | Maharashtra       | 22            | 47*           | 89*            | 20            | 43*           | 86*            | 22            | 41*           | 93*            |
|              | Pune                  | Maharashtra       | 22            | 44*           | 93*            | 20            | 41*           | 88*            | 23            | 45*           | 92*            |
|              | Raipur$               | Chattisgarh       | 14            | 40            | 268*           | 15            | 41*           | 305*           | 16            | 41*           | 329*           |
|              | Rajkot                | Gujarat           | 13            | 17            | 99*            | 12            | 17            | 87*            | 13            | 19            | 82*            |
|              | Ranchi                | Jharkhand         | 18            | 35            | 202*           | 19            | 36            | 177*           | 18            | 37            | 197*           |
|              | Shrinagar             | Jammu &Kashmir    | @             | @             | @              | @             | @             | @              | @             | @             | @              |
|              | Surat                 | Gujarat           | 16            | 26            | 97*            | 13            | 20            | 88*            | 15            | 20            | 89*            |
|              | Thane                 | Maharashtra       | 20            | 12            | 72*            | 17            | 32            | 110*           | 18            | 60*           | 109*           |
|              | Vadodara              | Gujarat           | 16            | 33            | 102*           | 14            | 19            | 89*            | 15            | 21            | 87*            |
|              | Varanasi              | Uttar Pradesh     | 18            | 21            | 138*           | 19            | 28            | 145*           | 19            | 32            | 139*           |
|              | Vasai-virar           | Maharashtra       | NA            | NA            | NA             | NA            | NA            | NA             | NA            | NA            | NA             |
|              | Vijaywada             | Andhra Pradesh    | 12            | 13            | 65*            | 5             | 19            | 104*           | 5             | 24            | 100*           |
|              | Vishakhapatnam (GVMC) | Andhra Pradesh    | 6             | 12            | 97*            | 13            | 18            | 67*            | 13            | 20            | 64*            |
|              | **46 cities**         | **16 states 1UT** |               |               |                |               |               |                |               |               |                |

*NB. NA- no monitoring station in the city, @ -monitoring station sanctioned but not yet operational, ‘-‘ data not received, IA  inadequate data, $ -there are three operating station in Raipur, however during 2013and 2014 only one station is in operation, *Concentration exceeding NAAQS of 50 µg/m* *3* *for SO* *2* *, 40 µg/m* *3* *for NO* *2* *, and 60 µg/m* *3* *for PM* *10* *for Residential/ industrial / other area & 20 µg/m* *3* *for SO* *2* *, 30 µg/m* *3* *for NO* *2* *, and 60 µg/m* *3* *for Ecologically sensitive area. The data furnished in the table for year 2014 is as available on date.*

**No. of million plus cities (46 cities as per Census 2011)**

| **Year**   | **with operating NAMP stations**   | **Exceeding / violating NAAQS**   |               |                |
|------------|------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|---------------|----------------|
|            |                                    | **SO**  **2**                     | **NO**  **2** | **PM**  **10** |
| 2012       | 44                                 | 0                                 | 7             | 42             |
| 2013       | 44                                 | 0                                 | 8             | 41             |
| 2014       | 44                                 | 0                                 | 9             | 39             |
|            |                                    |                                   |               |                |

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