Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav Reviews Clean Air Plans on Swachh Vayu Diwas in Jaipur
Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav took stock of the implementation of National, State, and City clean air action plans in 24 States and Union Territories and 131 cities during the fourth Apex Committee meeting of the National Clean Air Programme. The review took place on Swachh Vayu Diwas (International Day of Clean Air for blue skies) in Jaipur on September 7.
Under this programme, a performance-based grant of Rs 19,612 crore has been allocated to 131 cities for implementing city action plans from 2019-20 to 2025-26. So far, Rs 11,211 crore has been assigned to these cities to achieve a 40% reduction or meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in PM10 levels by 2025-26.
Improvement measures in sectors like road dust, vehicular pollution, waste management, greening urban spaces, and industrial pollution were discussed. Yadav emphasized creating 3776 hectares of Nagar Van/Vatikas in 64 cities with Rs 142 crores under the Nagar Van Yojana of MoEFCC. He praised nine cities for effectively using resources to address air pollution and commended efforts in achieving NAAQS in PM10 levels in 2023-24.
Yadav highlighted that 51 cities achieved a 20% reduction, and 21 cities managed a 40% reduction in PM10 levels. He also praised large-scale tree plantation drives under ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ and urged States/UTs to converge Central and State schemes to address air pollution.
Yadav suggested setting up a Coordinating Mechanism to monitor transboundary air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic Plain region. He called for reforms in waste management, vehicular pollution, and public awareness. Several union ministries presented progress reports on schemes like the National Mission on Sustainable Habitat, Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, AMRUT, Smart City Mission, and PM e-bus Sewa.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas discussed expanding CNG stations and PNG connections, while the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways highlighted the vehicle scrapping policy. The Ministry of Power briefed on using thermal power plants to reduce biomass burning. Municipal Commissioners from Surat, Firozabad, and Raebareli shared their success in tackling air pollution.
Doubts Revealed
Union Environment Minister -: The Union Environment Minister is a person in the Indian government who is responsible for looking after the environment and making sure it stays clean and healthy.
Bhupender Yadav -: Bhupender Yadav is the name of the person who is currently the Union Environment Minister of India.
Swachh Vayu Diwas -: Swachh Vayu Diwas is a special day in India dedicated to clean air. ‘Swachh’ means clean and ‘Vayu’ means air in Hindi.
Jaipur -: Jaipur is a city in India, known as the Pink City because many of its buildings are pink. It is the capital of the state of Rajasthan.
National Clean Air Programme -: The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is a plan by the Indian government to reduce air pollution and make the air cleaner to breathe.
Apex Committee -: The Apex Committee is a group of important people who meet to discuss and make decisions about the National Clean Air Programme.
Rs 19,612 crore -: Rs 19,612 crore is a large amount of money in Indian currency (Rupees) that has been set aside to help cities make their air cleaner.
PM10 levels -: PM10 levels refer to the amount of tiny particles in the air that are 10 micrometers or smaller. These particles can be harmful if we breathe them in.
Waste management -: Waste management means how we handle and get rid of garbage and other waste materials in a way that doesn’t harm the environment.
Green spaces -: Green spaces are areas with grass, trees, and plants, like parks and gardens, which help make the air cleaner and provide a nice place for people to relax.
Pollution control -: Pollution control means taking actions to reduce or stop pollution, which is harmful stuff in the air, water, or land that can make people and animals sick.
