Key Facts and Data Points

  • NGT Directive: Southern States and Puducherry ordered to strictly implement State Action Plans (SAPs) under NCAP
  • Penalty: Non-implementation leads to "environmental compensation" (fines)
  • PM2.5/PM10 Levels: Cities like Eloor, Kalaburagi, Hyderabad, and Visakhapatnam have pollution levels 4 to 6 times above WHO guidelines
  • Fund Utilization Issue: Karnataka utilized 86% of funds on road dust control, while spending only 6.6% on vehicular emissions and 4.1% on biomass burning

Background: National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)

Launch and Timeline

  • NCAP launched in 2019 by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
  • Originally a 5-year plan, may be extended to 20-25 years after review

Targets

  • Initial goal: Reduce PM10 levels by 20-30% by 2024-25 from 2017-18 baseline
  • Revised target: Achieve up to 40% reduction or meet national standards (60 µg/m³) by 2025-26
  • Target not met as per current assessments

Coverage

  • Targets 130 Non-Attainment Cities - urban areas that failed to meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for 5 consecutive years
  • Not uniformly applicable to all cities in India

Institutional Framework

Monitoring Bodies

  • Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB): National-level monitoring
  • State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs): State-level implementation
  • Apex Committee at MoEFCC
  • State-level and City-level committees

Action Plans

  • City Action Plans: Localized plans for dust control, vehicular emissions, waste management, industrial pollution
  • State Action Plans (SAPs): Cover entire State/UT including both NCAP and non-NCAP areas

Funding Sources

  • 15th Finance Commission
  • Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban)
  • Smart City Mission
  • FAME-II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles)

Monitoring Portal

  • PRANA Portal: Public access to air quality management, monitoring data, and financial status

NGT Directives

Airshed Approach

  • NGT mandated institutional arrangements for Airshed-level coordination among southern states
  • Manages pollution based on geographical/meteorological boundaries rather than political state borders
  • Acknowledges that air pollution crosses administrative boundaries

Constitutional and Legal Provisions

  • Article 48A (Directive Principles): Protection and improvement of environment
  • Article 51A (g): Duty of every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment
  • Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974: Framework for pollution control boards
  • Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981: Legal framework for air quality management

Significance for India

  1. Health Impact: Air pollution causes significant morbidity and mortality
  2. Policy Implementation Gap: Highlights disconnect between fund allocation and actual pollution sources
  3. Inter-state Coordination: Airshed approach emphasizes need for regional cooperation
  4. Environmental Justice: Environmental compensation ensures polluter pays principle

UPSC PYQ Analysis

Prelims 2016: Question on Air Quality Index gases - correct answer was 2, 3, and 4 (CO, NO₂, SO₂)

Mains 2021: Descriptive question on WHO AQGs and NCAP alignment required

Key Terms for Revision

  • Non-Attainment Cities: Cities failing NAAQS for 5 consecutive years
  • PM2.5 and PM10: Particulate matter standards
  • NCAP: National Clean Air Programme
  • SAP: State Action Plan
  • CPCB/SPCB: Central/State Pollution Control Boards
  • WHO AQG: World Health Organisation Air Quality Guidelines
  • PRANA Portal: Platform for monitoring NCAP implementation