Delhi is still the most polluted city 3 from Bihar placed in top 10

Delhi is still the most polluted city 3 from Bihar placed in top 10

Subject : Environment

Context:

Delhi continued to be the top polluted city in the country in 2022.

More in the news:

• Delhi has an annual average of PM 2.5 concentration 99.7 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3) of air, much above the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) standard of 40 ug/m3 of air, an analysis of CPCB air quality data by the NCAP (National Clean Air Programme) tracker has shown.
• The analysis has however revealed that PM 2.5 levels in the city have shown a 7% improvement from 108 ug/m3 in 2019.
• Some of the top polluted non-attainment cities in 2019 have marginally improved their PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels but continue to breach CPCB’s standards.

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP):

• It was launched by the MoEFCC in January 2019 as a long-term, time-bound, national level strategy that features:
  • Making determined efforts to deal with the air pollution problem across the country in a comprehensive manner.
  • Achieving 20% to 30% reduction target in Particulate Matter concentrationsby 2024 where 2017 is kept as the base year for the comparison of concentration.
• Identification of 122 non-attainment cities (presently 131 non-attainment cities) across the country based on the 2014-2018 Air Quality data.
  • Non- Attainment Cities are the cities which do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
• Preparation of the city-specificc action plans including measures to strengthen the monitoring network, reduce vehicular/industrial emissions, increase public awareness etc.
• Implementation of the city specific action plans to be regularly monitored by Committees at Central and State level namely Steering Committee, Monitoring Committee and Implementation Committee.
• Facilitating collaborative, multi-scale and cross-sectoral coordination between the relevant central ministries, state governments and local bodies.
• Establishing the right mix with the existing policies and programmes which include the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and other government initiatives related to climate change.
• Constant change, activity and progress to get evolved based on the additional scientific and technical information as they emerge.
• Increasing the number of monitoring stations in the country including rural monitoring stations, technology support.
• Emphasis on awareness and capacity-building initiatives.
• Setting up of certification agencies for monitoring equipment, source apportionment studies, emphasis on enforcement, specific sectoral interventions etc.
• The NCAP tracker is a joint project of the Carbon Copy portal and Maharashtra-based Respirer Living Sciences.
• Objective:
  • To augment and evolve effective and proficient ambient air quality monitoring networks across the country.
  • To have efficient data dissemination and public outreach mechanisms for timely measures for prevention and mitigation of air pollution.
  • To have a feasible management plan for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution.