(a) whether the Union Government has prepared a road map for control of air pollution during the Tenth Plan;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the data collected for this road map by the Ministry of Environment and Forests are almost five years old;
(d) if so, the extent to which it will control air pollution; and
(e) the steps being taken to rectify the situation?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRI NAMO NARAIN MEENA)
(a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 399 DUE FOR ANSWER ON 23.8.2004 REGARDING ROAD MAP FOR AIR POLLUTION RAISED BY SHRI JASHUBHAI DHANABHAI BARAD.
(a)&(b) The Government of India constituted an Expert Committee on Auto Fuel Policy which proposed policy measures to reduce air pollution in the selected major cities of the country and a road map for their implementation which includes, cleaner fuels, automobile technologies and enforcement measures.
(c)&(d) Ambient air quality data are regularly collected, collated and updated through a network of 296 Ambient Air Quality Stations set up in the major cities of the country.
(e) The Government have taken various steps to control air pollution, which include :
- 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.