National Conference of Environment Minister

National Conference of Ministers of Environment, Forest and Climate Change was held at Ekta Nagar, Gujarat during 23-24 September 2022. The Conference had six thematic sessions with topics focusing on Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE), Combating Climate Change, PARIVESH[a Single Window System for Integrated Green Clearances], Agro Forestry, Prevention and Control of Pollution, Wildlife Management including biodiversity and conservation of wetlands and Plastics and Waste Management.

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) launched by Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change is a long-term, time-bound, national level strategy for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution. NCAP envisages to reduce air pollution by 20-30% in 131 cities in terms of Particulate Matter (PM10) concentrations by 2024 over the baseline of 2017. NCAP has been extended till 2025-26 and targets have been revised to 40%.NCAP strategy includes implementation of Clean Air Action Plans at National, State and City levels for source specific mitigation actions, financial incentive structure for targeted cities linked with air quality improvement performance, coordinated actions by Central Ministries and State Governments and their agencies, convergence of resources from schemes of Central Government, State Government and Urban Local Bodies and Building of a mass movement (Jan Andolan).  Details of actions taken under NCAP are at Annexure.

Annexure

Details of actions taken under National Clean Air Programme

Action Plans under NCAP:

1. Preparation of national level plan includes convergence of schemes/ programmes of different Ministries/ Departments.
2. Preparation of State Action Plans 24 States
3. Preparation of City level action plans in 131 cities.

Guidelines:

4. Issued guidelines for release and utilisation of funds for 82 cities under NCAP.
5. Issued operational guidelines for implementation of recommendations of Million Plus City Challenge Fund recommended by XV Finance Commission for 49 cities.
6. Issued guidelines for Capacity Building and Outreach Programmes for conducting National, State and City level awareness and public outreach programmes on air quality management.
7. Issued guidelines on Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan (Ranking of Cities) to rank cities for taking measures to improve air quality.
8. Issued guidelines on National Knowledge Network (NKN) and Institute of Repute (IoR) to provide technical and scientific assistance to States and cities for implementation of activities under NCAP.

Monitoring and implementation:

9. National level Committees constituted to review and monitor the progress of NCAP:
   1. Apex Committee
   2. Steering Committee
   3. Monitoring Committee
   4. Implementation Committee
10. State level Committees have been constituted to monitor and implement NCAP activities:
    1. Steering Committee
    2. State Level Monitoring and Implementation Committee
    3. District level Implementation Committee
11.  City level Air Quality Management Cells have been formed to undertake activities in line with the NCAP guidelines.
12. MoUs signed between CPCB, SPCB and ULB for 82 cities and MoEFCC, State Government and ULB for 49 cities for undertaking measures to improve air quality.
13. MoEF&CC has also launched “PRANA” a portal for monitoring the implementation of NCAP.
14. National Knowledge Network (NKN) consisting of experts from IITs, research organisations, State Pollution Control Boards, independent experts, has been formed with a vision to build local technical capacities in order to have a larger pool of institutes to support activities under NCAP.
15. 88 Institute of Reputes (IoRs) are assigned to 131 cities for providing assistance to implement City action plans.

Sanction of funds:

16. Rs. 6897 crore have released to 131 cities till FY 2021-22 for implementation of city action plans for taking measures to improve air quality.
17. Rs. 2985.6 crore have been allocated to 131 cities for FY 2022-23. Rs. 290 crore have been sanctioned to 82 cities (as on 30th November, 2022).

Public Awareness and Capacity Building:

18. MoEF&CCconducted following workshops for sensitization, knowledge sharing and capacity building of the stakeholders:
    1. For Western region, workshop conductedon 22nd and 23rd November 2021, in Mumbai and sensitised the States of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Goa about the NCAP and XV-FC grant for improvement in air quality.
    2. For Southern region, workshop conducted on on 21st and 22nd May 2022, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu sensitised the States/UTs of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Pondicherry and Daman & Diu.
    3. For Delhi & NCR region, workshop on “Dialogue towards clean air” conducted on 7th & 8th March, 2022, in Gurugram, Haryana included Delhi and NCR region on the issues of air quality of Delhi NCR.
    4. National Vayu conferenceconducted on 3rd & 4th December, 2022, in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, covered all 131 cities across 24 states/UTs and gathered scientists, experts, academicians, mentors, students and other stakeholders across the country to share and scientific knowledge and best practices to implement NCAP.
19. Conference and exhibition of Start -ups in the field of Air Quality Management has been organised during ‘Eco Alternatives Expo & Start-up Conference’ on 26th -27th, 2022, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
20. Nine (9) Cities have been awarded under “Swachh Vayu Survekshan” with totalcash award of Rs. 5.25 crore.
21. Rs. 1 crore have been released to States to organise workshops and public outreach programmes on air quality management during FY 2022-23.
22. Pilot studies have been taken up in Delhi for evaluation of air pollution mitigation technologies. A pilot Smog tower for the localized reduction in air pollution has been set up on October 01, 2021 at AnandVihar, ISBT.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.