Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change addressed questions regarding air quality monitoring and the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). The response detailed the number of air quality monitoring stations, instances of "poor" or "very poor" AQI, and the status of cities receiving NCAP funding in improving air quality. Data spans up to the fiscal year 2024-25, with comparative data from 2017-18.
Key Points / Main Content:
* **Air Quality Monitoring:**
* 1,612 ambient air quality monitoring stations are operated by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB).
* These stations cover 572 cities and 4 rural areas across the country, with state-wise details in Annexure I.
* **Air Quality Index (AQI):**
* Annexure II provides state-wise details of cities with "poor" (AQI between 201-300) or "very poor" (AQI between 301-400) air quality in 2024-25.
* **National Clean Air Programme (NCAP):**
* Launched in January 2019 to improve air quality in 130 non-attainment and Million Plus Cities across 24 States/UTs.
* ₹13,036.52 crore in performance-linked grants provided to 130 cities from 2019-20 till date for air pollution mitigation.
* City-specific Clean Air Action Plans target pollution sources like dust, vehicular emissions, waste burning, construction, and industrial pollution.
* 103 cities showed a reduction in PM10 concentration in 2024-25 compared to 2017-18.
* 64 of those 103 cities have shown a reduction in PM10 levels by more than 20%.
* 25 of those 103 cities have achieved a reduction of more than 40%.
* 22 cities met National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) with PM10 concentrations less than 60 µg/m3.
* **Cities Not Showing Improvement:**
* Annexure III lists 23 cities under NCAP that have not shown improvement in air quality in 2024-25 compared to 2017-18.
Impact Analysis:
* **Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB):**
* Impact: Responsible for operating and maintaining air quality monitoring stations and reporting data.
* Action Required: Continue monitoring air quality and providing data to assess the effectiveness of NCAP.
* **Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC):**
* Impact: Oversees and funds the National Clean Air Programme.
* Action Required: Monitor the progress of cities under NCAP and adjust strategies as needed to ensure air quality improvement.
* **City Administrations (in 130 NCAP Cities):**
* Impact: Responsible for implementing City Specific Clean Air Action Plans.
* Action Required: Implement and enforce clean air action plans, focusing on identified pollution sources and utilizing funds effectively.
* **Citizens (in areas monitored):**
* Impact: Directly affected by air quality and benefit from improved air quality.
* Action Required: Support and participate in local clean air initiatives and adhere to regulations aimed at reducing pollution.
Key Entities Referenced
National Clean Air Programme: A program launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in January 2019 to improve air quality in 130 non-attainment cities and Million Plus Cities in 24 States/UTs.
Central Pollution Control Board: An organization that carries out ambient air quality monitoring along with State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB) through 1,612 monitoring stations.
Air Quality Index: A metric used to report daily air quality, with categories such as 'poor' (201-300) and 'very poor' (301-400) used to classify air quality levels.
National Ambient Air Quality Standards: National standards for ambient air quality (NAAQS) with respect to PM10 Concentrations less than 60 gm3.
Delhi UT: A union territory with 46 air quality monitoring stations.
Uttar Pradesh: A state in India with 141 air quality monitoring stations in urban areas.
Maharashtra: A state in India with 171 air quality monitoring stations in urban areas.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: The Indian government ministry responsible for the National Clean Air Programme and overall environmental policies.