1,340 stations set up for monitoring air quality in 489 cities: Centre tells Rajya Sabha

Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey further told the Upper House that to address the issue of plastic pollution with effective measures, MoEFCC notified the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016

New Delhi: As many as 1,340 monitoring stations have been set up for monitoring ambient air quality in 489 cities and towns of the country, the Union Government told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, said that the ministry launched National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January 2019 with an aim to improve air quality in 131 cities (non-attainment cities) and Million Plus Cities in 24 States by engaging all stakeholders.
He further said that it envisages achieving reductions up to 40 per cent or achievement of National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter10 (PM 10) concentrations by 2025-26.

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“Under the Programme, Cities are required to take measures to improve air quality inter-alia include solid waste management, control of pollution from biomass burning and air pollution from construction and demolition activities,” he further said.

Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched the scheme ‘Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0’ which aims at setting up solid waste management processing facilities, remediation of all legacy waste dumpsites in all cities, C&D waste management and procurement of mechanical road sweepers in 152 cities and towns which includes 131 cities covered under NCAP.

MoEFCC has notified Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 which provide a statutory framework for the management of solid waste in the country.

Rules mandate the local authorities and village panchayats of census towns and urban agglomerations, to allow only the non-usable, non-recyclable, non-biodegradable, non-combustible and non-reactive inert waste and pre-processing rejects and residues from waste processing facilities to go to sanitary landfill sites.

The minister further told the Upper House that to address the issue of plastic pollution with effective measures, MoEFCC notified the Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016.

“MoEFCC issued notification in August, 2021 for phasing out of 12 Single-Use Plastics (SUP) items w.e.f. 1st July, 2022. Plastic packaging waste, which is not covered under the phase out of identified single use plastic items, is to be collected and managed in an environmentally sustainable way through Guidelines for Extended Producer Responsibility notified by MoEFCC on 16th February 2022,” he added.