New Delhi: Three Bihar towns are among the five worst cities of the country where the Ambient Air Quality data had the highest PM10 levels measured during the year 2022. These cities are Saharsa, Katihar and Samastipur. Jharia in Jharkhand tops the list with PM10 concentrations (µg/m3) registering 281, while the only town that falls outside the erstwhile undivided Bihar is Brynihat in Assam. Ambient Air Quality monitoring was carried out in 518 cities and towns of the country.
Details of Ambient Air Quality data in 5 cities/towns each having highest PM10 levels measured during the year 2022
The Union Ministry of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provides a ranking of better-performing cities every year under “Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan” for 131 cities and Urban Local Bodies covered under the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) based on the framework for taking various measures to abate pollution from solid waste, control of road dust, construction and demolition waste, vehicular emissions, industrial emissions including improvement in PM10 concentrations.
Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey told the Rajya Sabha today that a trial study of various new technologies for control of air pollution has been conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) out of which encouraging results were observed in case of Dust Suppressant for control of emissions at construction sites and road dust. An advisory has been issued for the use of dust suppressants by road-owning and construction agencies in Delhi-NCR.
Concerning pollution in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), Choubey said to abate and control air pollution in Delhi-NCR, the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM), constituted in 2021, devised a comprehensive policy for abatement of pollution in NCR in July 2022, stipulating sector-specific action points quantifying targets along with timelines and implementation plan by various agencies in NCR States. The policy framework details sector-wise interventions, quantified targets and timelines for various sectors such as vehicular pollution, industrial pollution, dust from construction and demolition project activities, road and open areas dust, biomass burning, agricultural stubble burning, municipal solid waste burning, fires in sanitary landfills and air pollution from dispersed sources. To address the deterioration of air quality, actions under the ‘Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)’ were also imposed based on AQI. The GRAP called for a set of emergent preventive/restrictive actions depending on air pollution levels, to be implemented by the identified agencies for combating the adverse air quality scenario generally prevailing in Delhi owing to unfavourable climatic and meteorological conditions during the winter months.
The Minister said the Government has taken several steps for the abatement of air pollution owing to crop residue burning in Delhi NCR including the State of Punjab. CAQM reported that enforcement actions against stubble burning were taken by state governments and environmental compensation of Rs. 2.51 crore was imposed in Punjab and Rs. 0.46 crore in Haryana.
– global bihari bureau
