(a) whether the Government has identified the most polluted cities in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof, rank-wise and State-wise;
(c) the reasons for increasing pollution in these cities; and
(d) the measure taken to control the pollution and bring the same under specified limits?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRI NAMO NARAIN MEENA)
(a) & (b) The Central Pollution Control Board, in consultation with the State Pollution Control Boards, has identified the polluted cities based on the ambient air quality data for the period 1995-2003. State-wise list of these cities is annexed.
(c) The pollution is mainly due to increase in vehicular traffic, industries, natural geo-climatic conditions and other developmental activities.
(d) The Government has taken various steps to control pollution, which include the following :-
- Notification of general and source specific emission standards. - Enforcement of auto exhaust emission standards for new vehicles at manufacturing stage. - Improved fuel quality. - Use of beneficiated coal in the thermal power stations. - Implementation of Charter on Corporate Responsibility for Environmental Protection in respect of 17 categories of industries. - Regular monitoring for compliance of environmental standards. - Preparation and implementation of city specific action plan for improvement of air quality.
ANNEXURE
STATE-WISE LIST OF THE MOST POLLUTED CITIES IN INDIA (Based on Ambient Air Quality data 1995-2003)
S.No. State City S.No. State City
1. Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad 34. Nagda
2. Visakhapatnam 35. Satna
3. Assam Guwahati 36. Maharashtra Chandrapur
4. Bihar Patna 37. Mumbai
5. Chandigarh Chandigarh 38. Nagpur 6. Chhattisgarh Bhilai 39. Nashik
7 Korba 40. Pune
8. Raipur 41. Sholapur
9. Delhi Delhi 42. Meghalaya Shillong 10. Goa Panaji 43. Orissa Angul 11. Gujarat Ahmedabad 44. Rayagada 12. Ankleshwar 45. Rourkala 13. Jamnagar 46. Punjab Gobindgarh 14. Rajkot 47. Ludhiana 15. Surat 48. Jalandhar 16. Vadodara 49. Rajasthan Alwar 17. Vapi 50. Jaipur 18. Haryana Faridabad 51. Jodhpur 19. Yamunagar 52. Kota 20. Himachal Pr. Damtal 53. Udaipur 21. Paonta Sahib 54. Tamil Nadu Chennai 22. Parwanoo 55. Madurai 23. Shimla 56. Uttar Pradesh Agra 24. Jharkhand Dhanbad 57. Anpara 25 Jamshedpur 58. Gajraula 26. Jharia 59. Kanpur 27. Karnataka Bangalore 60. Lucknow 28. Kerala Kottayam 61. Noida 29. Kochi 62. Varanasi 30. Thiruvanantapuram 63. Uttaranchal Dehradun 31. Madhya Pradesh Bhopal 64. West Bengal Howrah 32. Indore 65. Kolkata 33. Jabalpur