NATIONAL CLEAN AIR PROGRAMME (NCAP)

WHY IN NEWS:

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to modify the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)

BACKGROUND:

• India has been going through a phase of accelerated industrial activities for the past three decades. The associated growth in terms of industrialization and urbanization has led to manifold increase in pollution issues, more specifically air pollution issues.
• In recent years, medium and small towns and cities have also witnessed an increase in pollution
• Air pollution has increasingly become a serious concern, predominantly because of its health impacts
• The impact of air pollution is not limited to health but extends to agriculture and the general well-being of humans, floral and faunal population.
• A study by the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, found that air pollution costs Mumbai and Delhi Rs 70,000 crore in 2015, or about 0.71 per cent of the country's GDP.
• As per the Greenpeace report, 3 per cent GDP is lost due to air pollution because of loss of productivity, forced closure of schools and industries
• Incidences of episodic air pollution during winters in Delhi NCR in recent years have attracted significant media attention thus bringing the entire issue of air pollution under regular public scrutiny.

ABOUT NCAP:

• It was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in January 2019 with set targets to decrease PM2.5 and PM10 by 20-30 per cent with 2017 as the base year.
• It is the first-ever effort in the country to frame a national framework for air quality management with a time-bound reduction target.
• The plan includes 102 non-attainment cities, across 23 states and Union territories, which were identified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the basis of their ambient air quality data

INITIATIVES UNDER NCAP:

• Augmenting Air Quality Monitoring Network :
  • National air quality monitoring network to be revisited, past data to be analysed for rationalization of monitored parameters, and monitoring needs be reassessed for augmenting the monitoring network adopting optimum blending of techniques such as manual, continuous, sensor & satellite based techniques.
• Setting up of National Emission Inventory:
  • An emission inventory is an accounting of the amount of pollutants discharged into the atmosphere.
• Setting up of Technology Assessment Cell:
  • Technology Assessment Cell is being envisaged to evaluate the technologies having significance in reference to prevention, control and abatement of pollution.
• Air Quality Management Plan for 100 Non-Attainment Cities:
  • The city action plans need to be guided by a comprehensive science based approach involving
    • Identification of emission sources
    • Prioritizing the sources that need to be tackled
    • Evaluation of various options for controlling the sources with regard to feasibility and economic viability
• Indoor Air Pollution Monitoring & Management:
  • It refers to the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of air in the indoor environment within a home, building, or an institution or commercial facility.
• Setting up Air Information Centre:
  • Air information centres may be set up at the central and state level, which will be responsible for creating a dash board, data analysis, dissemination including through GIS platform
• Setting up of Air Quality Forecasting System
  • Air Quality Forecasting System (AAQFS) as a state-of-the-art modelling system which forecasts the following day’s air quality is being envisaged.
• Three tier mechanism for review of monitoring, assessment and inspection for implementation
• Certification system for monitoring instruments
• Air Pollution Health Impact Studies
• International Cooperation including sharing of International Best Practices on Air Pollution

CONCERNS:

• No statutory backing
  • The programme has no legal binding as it is not notified under the Environment Protection Act or any other Act to create a firm mandate with a strong legal back up
• Insufficient targets:
  • A reduction of merely 20-30% from 2017 level by 2024 will not be sufficient to bring the air quality at the desired level
• Chance of abuse of power:
  • Without a proper accountability system, under which various levels of government could be held legally accountable for shirking responsibilities, our environment regulations may likely become draconian
• Absence of a robust fiscal and funding strategy:
  • Only Rs 300 crore is being earmarked for NCAP.
  • NCAP cannot be sustainable nor can it gain strength or make a difference on a longer-term basis if it does not have a clear fiscal strategy.
  • NCAP has not provided for innovative financing mechanism at central and state/city level.

WAYFORWARD:

• The government should also include private parties in collaboration to mitigate environmental concerns.
• NCAP should not just become only a top-down prescriptive approach but enable within the federal structure more room for tighter action in states
• NCAP can take on board the ‘polluter pay’ based taxation mechanism to mobilise resources for dedicated funding of pollution control action and also to discourage polluting products, processes and activities.
• National Green Tribunal (NGT)’s directions:
  • The timeline to reduce air pollution by 20-30% by 2024 needs to be reduced.
  • The target of reduction needs to be increased.
  • NGT suggested the Ministry to review and action in terms of shift to e-vehicles and CNG vehicles, intensifying public transport system, mechanical cleaning of roads, enhancement of public parking facilities, improvement in fuel quality, and traffic management.
  • It directed the state pollution control boards to ensure the assessment and installation of the requisite number of real-time online continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Systems within six months.

OTHER GOVT INITIATIVES TO CONTROL AIR POLLUTION:

• National Ambient Air Quality Standards and sector specific emission and effluent standards for industries;
• Setting up of monitoring network for assessment of ambient air quality;
• Introduction of cleaner gaseous fuels like CNG, LPG etc and ethanol blending;
• Launching of National Air Quality Index (AQI)
• Leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI standards for vehicles by 1st April, 2020;
• Banning of burning of biomass
• Promotion of public transport network
• Pollution Under Control Certificate
• Issuance of directions under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981;
• Installation of on-line continuous (24x7) monitoring devices by 17 highly polluting industrial sectors
• Notification of Graded Response Action Plan for Delhi and NCR identifying source wise actions for various levels of air pollution

CONCLUSION

• NCAP is a right step forward but it has to adopt strong compliance to enforce this mandate and to ensure inter-ministerial and inter-departmental coordination for multi-sectoral interventions to be able to meet the targets of the programme.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Q. What are the major components of National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)? Analyse the challenges associated with its implementation?