20 more cities added to CPCB's 'polluted' list - Pragnya IAS Academy - News analysis.

20 more cities added to CPCB's 'polluted' list.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has added 20 more cities from eight states to the list of polluted cities which do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards and, therefore, require focussed attention on multiple fronts to deal with the hazards of dirty air.

These additions, including eight from Andhra Pradesh and six from West Bengal, have expanded the list of non-attainment cities (NACs) from 102 to 122 where different agencies are expected to take air pollution abatement measures under a dedicated action plan for each of them.
The CPCB recently submitted the list of additional 20 NACs to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) while complying with the latter’s direction in a matter which was considered suo motu based on a TOI report on pan-India clean air programme.

Though the previous list contained all major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Patna and Hyderabad, the additional 20 are those which remained outside the ambit of the NACs despite being severely polluted
The Centre, under its National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) launched in January to take dedicated action in 102 cities, had set a national target of reducing key air pollutants PM10 and PM2.5 (particulate matters) by 20-30% by 2024 taking 2017 as the base year. Particulate matters are hazardous as these can get deep into lungs and some may even get into the bloodstream, causing serious health problems.
Analysis of high pollution levels in many NACs, including Delhi, Varanasi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Jaipur, Mumbai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad, showed that these cities will continue to remain polluted even if the target of reducing 20-30% of PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations is achieved in the next five years.
Hearing the matter in such a backdrop, the NGT’s principal bench headed by chairman Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, on August 6 issued 15-point directions for different agencies and asked the environment ministry to modify its NCAP target.
“Having regard to adverse impact on public health and constitutional mandate that right to clean air is a fundamental right, the MoEF&CC (environment ministry) may modify the NCAP by reducing the timelines and increasing the target for reduction of air pollution,” the tribunal said.
Referring to the existing target, it said violation of such “fundamental right cannot be allowed to be continued for such a long time”.
On the expanded list of NACs, it directed states to prepare action plans for these 20 additional cities on the pattern of 102 NACs within three months and get it approved by the CPCB within two months to initiate time-bound action.
The additional 20 cities are Anantapur, Chittoor, Eluru, Kadapa, Ongole, Rajahmundry, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh; Vadodara in Gujarat; Thane in Maharashtra; Kalinga Nagar in Odisha; Trichy in Tamil Nadu; Sangareddy in Telangana; Dehradun in Uttarakhand; and Asansol, Barrackpore, Durgapur, Haldia, Howrah and Raniganj in West Bengal.
As far as 102 NACs from the original list are concerned, the CPCB has already approved action plans for 92 cities. The remaining cities whose action plans need to be revised are Mumbai, Nasik, Solapur, Bengaluru, Dhanbad, Guwahati, Nagaon, Nalbari, Sibsagar and Silchar.
As part of its 15-point directions, the NGT on August 6 asked the CPCB to design a model ‘standard operating procedure’ for source apportionment study and carrying capacity assessment within two months which may be replicated for all the 122 NACs. These studies and assessment may then be considered for various actions on the ground.
It also said the CPCB and states may have robust ‘Emergency Response System’ and preparedness by way of “mock drills” and measures to be taken in the scenario when air pollution levels become ‘severe plus’ and ‘severe’.
On issue of crop burning that contributes to air pollution during winter, the Tribunal directed that the activities like “crop burning and burning of trash wood/leaves/debris for heating in winters to be strictly regulated and violations penalized” as has been done by notifications for Eco-Sensitive Zone, Coastal Regulation Zone and Ganga Flood plains.
The central and state pollution control boards were also asked to ensure installation of requisite number of real time Online Continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations within six months and indicate progress in this regard before the next date of hearing in November.
The CPCB informed the NGT that about 1,500 more real time Online Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (OCAAQMS) are required to be installed to compile air quality data in the country.
“At present number of such stations is inadequate and consequently the correct picture/status with regard to number of NACs is not been reported and that the number could be more than what has been reported,” it said.
The NGT in its order said the CPCB may evaluate existing air quality monitoring mechanism of all States and UTs and furnish a report to it before the next date in terms of capacity of its scientific and technical personnel both in terms of number of personnel and skill/competence and outreach programmes on public awareness and suggestions for improvement.


The above Article can also be read using the link below:

20 more cities added to CPCB's 'polluted' list.

WHO polluted cities list: Government claims pollution dipped in 2017 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

WHO polluted cities list: Government claims pollution dipped in 2017.

"Data for the year 2017 for PM 2.5 shows an improvement over 2016 and so far in 2018, it shows a further improvement, as compared to 2017,” said a statement from the Environment Ministry.

Responding to the air pollution data released by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Wednesday, the government claimed that various measures have led to pollution levels actually falling in 2017.
At 143 microgrammes/cubic metre, Delhi’s PM (2.5) levels in 2016 — as reported by the WHO — made it the sixth most polluted city in the world. The government, citing Central Pollution Control Board data, said it was 134 microgrammes/cubic metre in 2016 and 125 microgrammes/cubic metre in 2017. “The government has made serious efforts to deal with air pollution. Data for the year 2017 for PM 2.5 shows an improvement over 2016 and so far in 2018, it shows a further improvement, as compared to 2017,” said a statement from the Environment Ministry.
The CPCB data based on Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) also noted that PM (10) figures were 289 microgrammes per cubic metre in the year 2016 and 268 microgrammes per cubic metre in the year 2017. “Therefore, even PM 10 levels have come down in the year 2017 against 2016,” the statement added.
The WHO had cited numbers from CPCB, along with other peer-reviewed sources, to assess pollution levels in Delhi in 2016. WHO’s global urban air pollution database measured the levels of fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) from more than 4,300 cities in 108 countries, according to which ambient air pollution alone caused some 4.2 million deaths in 2016, while household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels and technologies caused an estimated 3.8 million deaths in the same period. Kanpur and Varanasi led the list of the world’s most polluted cities, with Faridabad, Gaya, Patna, Lucknow, Agra, Muzaffarpur, Srinagar, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Patiala and Jodhpur also figuring in 20 most-polluted cities in the world. (Source: The Hindu)


The above Article can also be read using the link below:

WHO polluted cities list: Government claims pollution dipped in 2017.

10 Indian cities out of 20 rank among the most polluted in the world: WHO - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

10 Indian cities out of 20 rank among the most polluted in the world: WHO.

According to report, more than 90 per cent of air pollution-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, including India.

In a data released by World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday, 10 Indian cities figured in top 20 most polluted cities in the world in terms of PM2.5 levels in 2016, where Gwalior ranked second. The national capital Delhi and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh are also among the 20 cities.
The WHO data also said that nine out of 10 people in the world breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. The estimations revealed an alarming death toll of 7 million people every year caused by ambient (outdoor) and household air pollution.
According to the data, other Indian cities that registered very high levels of PM2.5 pollutants were Allahabad, Kanpur, Firozabad, Patna, Muzaffarpur, Ludhiana and Khanna followed by Ali Subah Al-Salem in Kuwait and a few cities in China and Mongolia.
In terms of PM10 levels, 13 cities in India figured among the 20 most-polluted cities of the world in 2016.
The World Health Organisation has called upon member-countries in its Southeast Asia Region to aggressively address the double burden of household and ambient (outdoor) air pollution, saying the region, which comprises India, accounts for 34 per cent or 2.4 million of the seven million premature deaths caused by household and ambient air pollution together globally every year.
Of the 3.8 million deaths caused by household air pollution globally, the region accounts for 1.5 million or 40 per cent deaths, and of the 4.2 million global deaths due to ambient air pollution, 1.3 million or 30 per cent are reported from the region, it said.
The PM2.5 includes pollutants like sulfate, nitrate and black carbon, which pose the greatest risk to human health.
WHO's global urban air pollution database measured the levels of fine particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) from more than 4,300 cities in 108 countries, according to which ambient air pollution alone caused some 4.2 million deaths in 2016, while household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels and technologies caused an estimated 3.8 million deaths in the same period.
Since 2016, over 1,000 additional cities have been added to WHO's database, which shows more countries are measuring and taking action to reduce air pollution than ever before.
"WHO estimates that around 7 million people die every year from exposure to fine particles in the polluted air that penetrate deep into the lungs and cardiovascular system, causing diseases including stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and respiratory infections, including pneumonia," the report said.
According to the report, more than 90 per cent of air pollution-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (including India), mainly in Asia and Africa, followed by low- and middle-income countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region, Europe and the Americas.
"Around 3 billion people more than 40 per cent of the world's population still do not have access to clean cooking fuels and technologies in their homes, the main source of household air pollution," it said.
It said the WHO recognises air pollution is a critical risk factor for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), causing an estimated 24 per cent of all adult deaths from heart disease, 25 per cent from stroke, 43 per cent from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and 29 per cent from lung cancer.
The report, however, stated countries are making efforts and taking measures and in this context, referred to India's Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which it said, in just two years, has provided 37 million women living below the poverty line with free LPG connections to support them to switch to clean household energy use.
India targets to reach 80 million households by 2020.
All countries in the region are making efforts to expand the availability of clean fuels and technologies, however, over 60 per cent population do not have clean fuel. The combined effects of household air pollution and ambient air pollution become increasingly hard to address if not tackled early, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director, WHO Southeast Asia, said.
"Air pollution needs to be brought under control with urgent and effective action. Non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of deaths globally and in the region, and air pollution contributes significantly to NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease and lung cancer.
"Cleaning up the air we breathe will help prevent NCDs, particularly among women and vulnerable groups such as children, those already ill and the elderly," Singh said.
"Many of the world's megacities exceed WHO's guideline levels for air quality by more than 5 times, representing a major risk to people's health," Maria Neira, director of the Department of Public Health, Social and Environmental Determinants of Health at WHO, said, adding, there is an acceleration of political interest to deal with this global public health challenge.
"Air pollution threatens us all, but the poorest and most marginalised people bear the brunt of the burden. It is unacceptable that over 3 billion people most of them women and children are still breathing deadly smoke every day from using polluting stoves and fuels in their homes," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO.
Major sources of air pollution from particulate matter include inefficient use of energy by households, industry, agriculture and transport sectors, and coal-fired power plants. In some regions, sand and desert dust, waste burning and deforestation are additional sources of air pollution.
"Air pollution does not recognise borders. Improving air quality demands sustained and coordinated government action at all levels," the WHO said. (Source: The Business Standard)


The above Article can also be read using the link below:

10 Indian cities out of 20 rank among the most polluted in the world: WHO.