- The Union Environment Ministry has said that 84 out of 102 non-attainment cities, included in the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) have submitted city-specific plans to reduce air pollution.
- In 2019, National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) has been launched for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution in India. It is a five-year action plan with 2019 as the first year.
- It aims at 20%–30% reduction of PM2.5and PM10 concentration by 2024, taking 2017 as the base year for the comparison of concentration.
- The programme targets 102 non-attainment cities which were identified by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the basis of their ambient air quality data between 2011 and 2015.Non-attainment cities are those which have been consistently showing poorer air quality than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
- The NCAP requires cities to come up with city-specific plans that include increasing the number of monitoring stations, providing technology support, conducting source apportionment studies, and strengthening enforcement.
- The cities are required to implement specific measures in a time-bound manner. Example: ensuring roads are pothole-free to improve traffic flow and thereby reduce dust” (within 60 days). However, it doesn’t specify an exact date for when these obligations should start.
- Recently the Union Environment Ministry has constituted a committee to implement the NCAP which will be chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry.
84 cities submit plans for improving air quality by 2024
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