National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) have been notified for 12 air pollutants including ground level Ozone (O3). The current level of major air pollutants including O3 is available in the Portal of the Central Control Room for Air Quality Management, pertaining to CPCB.

Ground level Ozone is a secondary pollutant and formed through complex photochemical reactions between volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Oxides of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx). NOx is emitted from combustion of coal, gasoline and oil in industrial operations, motor vehicles and power plants. VOCs are mainly released through gasoline combustion and distribution, upstream oil and gas production, wood burning, and the evaporation of solvents and liquid fuels.

The steps taken to control the precursors of ozone, i.e. NOx and VOC emissions are provided below: 

• Introduction of BS VI-compliant vehicles across the country since April, 2020 have reduced NOx emissions as compared to erstwhile BS IV-compliant vehicles, with 70-85% reduction in the case of 2-wheelers, 25%-68% in the case of 4-wheelers, and 87% in the case of heavy-duty vehicles.

• Government launched PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM-E Drive) and PM e-Bus Sewa to promote electric mobility, resulting in zero vehicular emissions.

• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2019 as a long-term, time-bound, national-level strategy to address air pollution in 130 non-attainment and million plus cities/urban agglomeration in 24 States/UTs. City Specific Clean Air Action Plans have been prepared by all 130 cities under NCAP to implement air quality improvement measures in respective cities. These plans target air pollution sources like soil & road dust, vehicular emissions, waste burning, Construction & Demolition activities and industrial pollution.

• Industrial emission Standards for NOx and VOCs have been revised / introduced for various sectors such as Man-made Fiber industry, Fertilizer Industry, Pharmaceutical industry, Paint industry etc.

• NOx emission standards have also been prescribed for coal/lignite-based thermal power plants, industrial boilers, furnaces, cement plant (without co-processing of wastes) and standalone clinker grinding plants.

• Vapour Recovery System (VRS) has been installed at all Delhi-NCR petrol pumps.

• VRS has been installed at those pumps selling more than 100 KL per month petrol and located in million plus cities and selling more than 300 KL per month petrol and located in cities with population more than 1 lakh.

•  Promotion of public transport and improvements in roads.

• Streamlining the issuance of Pollution Under Control (PUC) Certificate.

•  Banning of burning of biomass and garbage.

• Implementation of waste management rules w.r.t solid waste, bio-medical waste, and hazardous wastes etc.

• To control Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), MoEF&CC has notified the Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, that control the use, import, and export of ODSs in India.

This information was provided by UNION MINISTER OF STATE FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE, SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

 *****

VM/SK
(Lok Sabha US Q1205)

 

(रिलीज़ आईडी: 2200447) आगंतुक पटल : 140