14/01/2019 - Government Policies

KEY POINTS

·         NCAP proposes a “tentative national target” of 20%-30% reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations by 2024, with 2017 as the base year for comparison.

·         The government has stressed that NCAP is a scheme, not a “legally binding” document with any specified penal action against erring cities.

·         NCAP takes into account available international experiences and national studies. It notes that internationally, actions have been “city-specific” rather than country-oriented, and cites examples such as Beijing and Seoul that saw 35%-40% PM2.5 reduction in five years.

·         From the Central Pollution Control Board’s list of polluted cities, 102 were identified based on National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme data for 2011-2015.

·         It also selects from the top 10 cities from the World Health Organisation’s April 2018 database, which had ranked 14 Indian cities among the top 15 most polluted cities in the world.

·         NCAP talks of a “collaborative, multi-scale and cross-sectoral coordination” between central ministries, state governments, and local bodies. “The CPCB shall, in consonance with the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and in particular with the provision of Section 16(2)(b) of the Act, execute the nation-wide programme for the prevention, control, and abatement of air pollution within the framework of the NCAP,”

·         NCAP identifies particulate matter as a “major challenge” that is found to exceed limits across the country and in urban areas of the Indo-Gangetic plain.

·         Identified as major pollutants are vehicles, industries, rampant construction, biomass burning, diesel gensets, and commercial and domestic use of fuel, among other things.

·         It calls for an “extensive plantation drive” at pollution hotspots and execution; however, it is not made clear how much air pollution this will seek to reduce.

·         NCAP calls for a “city action plan” that needs to be “guided by a comprehensive science-based approach” involving source apportionment studies.

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As it is mandatory in the constitution,India is committed to create a clean environment and pollution free air and water.In recent years towns and cities have witnessed a strong increase in air pollution which resulted in non attainment cities with poor Ambient Air Quality(AAQ).

“The War Against Pollution"-A programme called National Clean Air Programme which aims to reduce the particulate matter(PM2.5,10) upto 20-30% before 2024 with a strong emphasis on cities with poor AAQ.

Strategies of NCAP 

1.As air pollution emission is associated with many sectors which inter-alia include power, transport, industry,etc,the implementation of this scheme is also has collaboration,multiscale and cross sectoral coordination.

2.The scheme is mainstreaming and integrated in nature which has collaborated approach with policies which are already existing in India including NAPCC.

3.As a result of learnings from the past,an effective three tier mechanism to review, monitor and assess the functions of the scheme is created to avoid any non-compliance by insisting regular monitoring and inspections.

4.The assistance of technology is another key point in the scheme,with the help of extensive plantation drives the particulate matter accumulation in the hotspots can be reduced.But the efficiency of this method is not sure till now.

5.Mentions like smart city programme and a city action plan are still in the progress.These procedures are requiring more awareness in the society.

6.The tenure and the aim of the scheme is about five years but the cities like Delhi are already having particulate matter four times than allowed is a serious threat.

7.The method of stringent enforcement is very much needed to monitor properly but the non legal binding of the scheme makes it weaker.

8.It promotes the simple policies which are already there in action like congestion management by traffic police,manual sweepers for dust free roads are requiring a high degree of enforcement to view correct results.

9.All the power sectors are asked to comply new restrictions in the emissions of PM,NO2, Mercury chloride ,etc.

10.The economic impact of air pollutions and assessment through satellites are some important studies which can give excellent ideas to frame more policies with reference to air pollution.

11.Enhancing the public transport, maintenance of clean roads,solid waste management and controlling local bodies generating air pollutions are some well designed aspects of NCAP