Top polluted cities in the country
Top polluted cities in the country
The Ministry provides ranking of better performing cities every year under “Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan” for 131 cities/ULB’s covered under National Clean Air Program (NCAP) based on the framework for taking various measures to abate pollution from solid waste, control of road dust, construction and demolition waste, vehicular emissions, industrial emissions including improvement in PM10 concentrations.
Ambient Air Quality monitoring is carried out in 518 cities/towns of the country. Details of Ambient Air Quality data in 5 cities/towns having highest PM10 levels measured during the year 2022 is placed at Annexure-I.
With a view to abate and control air pollution in Delhi / NCR, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), constituted in 2021, has devised a comprehensive policy for abatement of pollution in NCR in July, 2022, stipulating sector specific action points quantifying targets along with timelines and implementation plan by various agencies in NCR States. The policy framework details sector-wise interventions, quantified targets and timelines for various sectors viz. vehicular pollution, industrial pollution, dust from construction and demolition project activities, road and open areas dust, biomass burning, agricultural stubble burning, Municipal Solid Waste burning, fires in sanitary landfills and air pollution from dispersed sources etc.
Since inception the CAQM has so far issued 78 directions and 11 advisories, besides executive orders to various agencies concerned in the NCR including State Governments of Punjab, GNCTD, and various bodies of the Central and State Governments in the region. Due to these concerted efforts general improvements in the AQI level has been witnessed in the region.
To address the deterioration of air quality, actions under ‘Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)’ are also imposed based on AQI. The GRAP calls for a set of emergent preventive/restrictive actions depending on air pollution levels, to be implemented by the identified agencies for combating the adverse air quality scenario generally prevailing in Delhi owing to unfavorable climatic and meteorological conditions during the winter months.
Further, steps taken by Central Government for air quality management and to abate air pollution in Delhi /NCR is enclosed as Annexure-II.
The Government has taken several steps for abatement of air pollution owing to crop residue burning in Delhi NCR including the State of Punjab which are mentioned in Annexure-III.
For taking action against the farmers indulging in stubble burning, the Ministry has notified the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (lmposition, Collection and Utilization of Environmental Compensation for Stubble Burning) Rules, 2023 dated 28th April, 2023 for imposition of environmental compensation for stubble burning incidents. CAQM has reported that enforcement actions against stubble burning have been taken by State Governments and Environmental Compensation of Rs. 2.51 crore was imposed in the state of Punjab and Rs. 0.46 crore in the state of Haryana.
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW) in 2018 launched a scheme for ‘Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh & NCT of Delhi’, under which financial assistance is provided to the farmers for purchase of crop residue management machinery and establishment of custom hiring centres (CHCs). During 2018-2022, total fund released to Delhi and other States under the said Scheme is Rs. 2440.07 crores using which, over 2 lakh crop residue machineries have been delivered to individual farmers and CHCs, and over 39,000 CHCs have been established. In 2022, the Scheme has been merged with Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) and SMAM has been merged with Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
The state-wise number of crop residue management machines supplied to individual farmers and CHCs is as under:
State/
Agency
Number of Machines delivered to the individual farmers and Custom Hiring Centres
No. of Custom Hiring Centres Established
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
Total
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
Total
Punjab
27747
23068
24540
10031
85386
3888
5140
12100
4275
25403
Haryana
10627
14078
15350
19052
59107
1194
1685
1345
2551
6775
Uttar Pradesh
23306
7054
13651
11700
55711
2300
1650
1652
1611
7213
NCT of Delhi
0
111
51
85
247
0
0
0
0
0
Total
61680
44311
53592
40868
200451
7382
8473
15106
8437
39391
The Central Government and the Sate Governments of Delhi and NCR States have been working closely for implementation of Central Government Schemes to stop crop residue burning.
Regular meetings of the Committee of Secretaries (CoS) with concerned Ministries and State Governments under the chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary are being held to review the progress made on the issue of Air Quality Management in Delhi & NCR.
Directions were issued by CAQM to the State Governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Government of NCT of Delhi to prepare detailed monitorable action plans, based on a framework formulated by CAQM for control/elimination of crop residue burning. Subsequently directions were issued to the states to strictly and effectively implement the revised action plan to prevent and control/eliminate paddy stubble burning.
ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) has developed a microbial consortium Pusa Decomposer for in-situ accelerated decomposition of stubble/parali. Pusa Decomposer has been put to use in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.
Annexure-I
Details of Ambient Air Quality data in 5 cities/towns each having highest PM10 levels measured during the year 2022
S.N.
Name of the City and State / Union Territory
PM10 concentrations (µg/m3)
1
Jharia, Jharkhand
281
2
Brynihat, Assam
257
3
Saharsa, Bihar
250
4
Katihar, Bihar
227
5
Samastipur, Bihar
220
Annexure – II
Steps for management of air quality in India & Delhi-NCR
Measures for control of vehicular emissions:
Measures for control of industrial emission:
Construction & Demolition (C&D) Waste
Technical Interventions in Delhi-NCR
Close Monitoring & Ground level implementation in Delhi-NCR
Regular Stakeholder Consultation, Public & Media Outreach
Regulatory Actions in Delhi-NCR
Annexure-III
Measures for control of emissions from Stubble Burning in Delhi-NCR:
This information was given by Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.