(a) the serial-wise names of most polluted cities in the country alongwith their
ranking in the most polluted cities of the world;
(b) the present level of pollution in each city;
(c) whether any study has been conducted/proposed to be conducted by the
Government in this regard; and
(d) If so, the details thereof and action taken thereon?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRI NAMO NARAIN MEENA)
(a) to (d) The Central Pollution Control Board is monitoring ambient air quality at 339
locations under the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP). The ranking of cities
is generally undertaken on the basis of levels of pollution. A list of 67 cities in which
prescribed Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) levels are not met is at Annexure-I.
A study on the 2005 Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI), which integrates various data
sets including past and present pollution levels, has rated India at 101st position out of
146 countries.
A number of steps have been initiated to mitigate environmental pollution which inter-alia
include the following:
# Notification of general and source specific environmental standards;
# Introduction of cleaner fuels and improved vehicular technologies;
# Implementation of the Charter on Corporate Responsibility for Environmental
Protection (CREP) for seventeen categories of polluting industries; and
# Regular monitoring for environmental compliance.