Page 18 - NIS English November16-30

Air Pollution Annual Recurrence

MOBILE APPS TO ACTION PLAN FOR IMPROVING AIR QUALITY

DISPLAY AQI l The Central Government has launched the National
Clean Air Programme as a long-term, time-bound,
national-level strategy to tackle air pollution across
SAME E R :
Launched in the country in a comprehensive manner with targets to
October 2017, achieve 20–30 per cent reduction in PM10 and PM2.5
SAMEER provides concentrations by 2024 with 2017 as the base year
information on air l One-hundred-and-two non-attainment cities, mostly in
quality to the public. It Indo-Gangetic Plains, have been identified on the basis
also has provision for registering of ambient air quality data for the period of 2011–
complaints against air polluting 2015 and WHO report 2014/2018. The city-specific
activities. Air quality information action plans have been approved for all these cities for
collection and dissemination are implementation on ground
done from a centralized location. l The Central Government had notified a Comprehensive
It provides real-time air quality Action Plan in 2018 identifying timelines and the
status to all stakeholders apart implementing agencies for actions identified for
from hourly updates on the prevention, control and mitigation of air pollution in the
National Air Quality Index (AQI) NCR
published by the Central Pollution l Graded Response Action Plan was notified on January
Control Board. 12, 2017, for prevention, control and abatement of air
pollution in the NCR. It identifies graded measures and
the implementing agencies for response to four AQI
SAFAR: An
integrated early categories, namely, moderate to poor, very poor, severe
warning System and severe+ or emergency
of Air Quality STEPS TAKEN TO CHECK STUBBLE BURNING
and Weather l The Government has allocated Rs 1,700 Crore to
Forecasting and States for stubble management. Currently, the
Research (SAFAR) was launched Government is providing 80 per cent subsidy to
to provide forecast of the Air cooperatives and 50 per cent subsidy to individuals
on machinery to prevent stubble burning
Quality and Weather 72 hours in l Hotspots have been identified in Uttar Pradesh,
advance. SAFAR is operational in Haryana and Rajasthan, and State Governments
four cities – Delhi, Pune, Mumbai have been directed to pay more attention to these
and Ahmedabad. l State action plans have been made and discussed
and will be implemented soon

air pollution and that all stakeholders i.e. the Change Prakash Javadekar said: “There's no
Centre, States Governments and citizens need magic bullet for mitigation of Air Pollution.
to work in synergy in fighting the malady. Factors are meteorological and geographical
The problem of air pollution during winter in which get exacerbated by man-made factors
northern states, especially Delhi, is compounded every year during 2-3 months. The Centre, the
by man-made, as well as, meteorological and Delhi Government, neighboring states and
geographical factors. On September 29, 2020, citizens need to work in synergy. It’s a shared
Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate responsibility.”

16 New India Samachar