Question : Online Monitoring of Air Pollution

(a) whether the Government has any policy for online monitoring of air pollution in various States and UTs including Delhi-NCR;
(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(c) whether the Government has taken initiatives to improve manual air quality monitoring system as the air quality of most of the cities of the country is continuously in a state of decline;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the concrete steps taken by the Government to deal with the said problem keeping in view the deteriorating environment in the country?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

(a)& (b) The Central Government in association with State/UT Governmentshas installed 205 online Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) in 114 cities including Delhi-NCR, across the country. Further, the Central Government has launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 102 non-attainment cities to tackle the air pollution problem across the country in a comprehensive manner. The objectivesinclude augmentation and evolving of effective ambient air quality monitoring network across the country (manual and real time stations).

(c) & (d) The Central Government in association with State/UT Governments has implemented National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) for augmentation of manual air quality monitoring system in the country. Presently, ambient air quality is monitored at 793 locations covering 344 cities/towns in 28 States and 7 Union Territories across the country under NAMP. Also, a number of measures are taken to ensure the quality of the data of ambient air quality monitoring stations which include regular evaluation of ambient air quality monitoring stations and monitoring laboratories, organising of training programsetc.

(e) Central Government has taken a number of regulatory measures for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution in the country. A Comprehensive Air Plan (CAP) for Delhi NCR has been developed identifying the timelines and implementing agencies for actions delineated. The Central Government has notified a Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for Delhi and NCR for actions during different levels of pollution. The nature, scope and rigor of measures to be taken are linked to levels of pollution viz. severe + or emergency, severe, very poor, moderate to poor and moderate, after due consideration by authorities concerned. Also, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January 2019 to tackle the problem of air pollution in a comprehensive manner with targets to achieve 20 to 30 % reduction in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by 2024 keeping 2017 as base year. The plan includes 102 non-attainment cities, across 23 States and Union Territories, on the basis of their ambient air quality data between 2011 and 2015.