Latest news with #NationalCleanAirProgramme
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ludhiana: Residents' body moves NGT against Punjab govt's order
The Public Action Committee (PAC) has approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the Punjab Government's order seeking ₹356 crore from the Forest Department and the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB). The committee said the move violates Supreme Court orders, the Compensatory Afforestation Act 2016, NGT directions, and guidelines of the Union ministry of environment, Forest and climate change (MoEFCC). The dispute arose after a meeting on August 7, chaired by the chief secretary, where various departments were directed to transfer ₹ 1,440 crore to the state's finance department. (HT Photo) The dispute arose after a meeting on August 7, chaired by the chief secretary, where various departments were directed to transfer ₹1,440 crore to the state's finance department. This included ₹84 crore from the Forest Department, ₹44 crore from the sale of fallen trees and ₹40 crore from unused land acquisition funds and ₹250 crore from PPCB's non-NGT funds. The Department of Environment was also asked to deposit ₹22 crore from Mission Tandarust Punjab. PAC members Kuldeep Singh Khaira and Jaskirat Singh said that under the law, Forest Department funds can only be used for activities such as compensatory afforestation, forest protection, wildlife management, and development of forest-related infrastructure. Similarly, PPCB, being an autonomous body, holds funds collected from environmental compensation, National Clean Air Programme grants, and fees from industries for consents, all of which are meant strictly for environmental protection and restoration. Environmental activists Kapil Arora added that diverting such funds for non-environmental purposes undermines sustainable development. They pointed out that environmental challenges in Punjab, including polluted water bodies, mismanaged legacy waste, and worsening air quality already require urgent attention and adequate resources. PAC members Gurpreet Plaha and Vikas Arora alleged that the state government has often sided with polluters and failed to act against violations, prioritising revenue over environmental health. 'Now, by targeting environmental funds, the government is further risking Punjab's ecological future,' they said. The PAC has urged the NGT to quash the order and restrain the Punjab government from making such demands in the future, calling the move 'unwarranted' and harmful to the state's environmental interests.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Hyd's air pollution alarming despite 727cr action plan
Hyderabad: Air pollution in Hyderabad continues to remain at hazardous levels, with PM10 concentrations hovering 8 to 13 times above the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended limits, despite a marginal 26.4% dip since 2017-18. The situation plateaued in 2024-25, with PM10 levels stagnating at 81 µg/m³, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board. Under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Hyderabad was allocated 727.18 crore to tackle rising pollution levels, of which 435.11 crore has been spent so far, as per data from the PRANA portal. While authorities claim a 'slight improvement' over the last seven years, experts say that fundamental issues like unregulated construction activity, vehicular emissions, and poor waste management remain unaddressed. A comprehensive analysis by TOI, based on CPCB data, reveals that the city's air quality has shown little improvement despite an elaborate multi-agency action plan involving the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TGPCB), GHMC, TSRTC, and others. From 2019 till now, PM2.5 and PM10 levels have ranged between 70–100 µg/m³ and 80–120 µg/m³ respectively, well above WHO's limits of 5 µg/m³ (PM2.5) and 15 µg/m³ (PM10), and India's own standards of 40 µg/m³ and 60 µg/m³. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Secret Lives of the Romanovs — the Last Rulers of Imperial Russia! Learn More Undo You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad Although Hyderabad has fared better than Delhi and Chennai in terms of air quality metrics, it still trails behind Mumbai and Kolkata. The NCAP action plan included traffic decongestion, upgrading public transport, dust control in quarry zones, industrial relocations, and curbing garbage burning. "To ease congestion, we planned widening of roads and junctions under GHMC limits," a GHMC official said, adding, "We're also promoting long-term green cover by planting native species. It's a long term goal and we are constantly working on it." However, experts argue that execution remains the weak link. "The blueprint is extensive, it includes banning crop waste burning, developing compost pits, building green buffers along traffic corridors, retiring vehicles older than 15 years, and acting against violating industrial units," said Subba Rao, an environmentalist who has worked on urban pollution for three years. "But the biggest issue is follow-up. Implementation demands not just interdepartmental coordination, but regular monitoring and maintenance of whatever infrastructure is put in place." He also added that unless Hyderabad moves from planning to consistent execution, cleaner air will remain a distant goal despite heavy investments and structured programmes. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
India Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Funds flow but India's air foul: The big gaps in pollution battle
Despite the government pumping more than Rs 13,000 crore since 2019 over the implementation of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), India's capital is one of the slowest movers in the nation's pollution war. It could spend only 22 per cent of the money sanctioned since then. While Delhi's air is three times dirtier than the safe threshold of 60 g/m (micrograms per cubic metre), for the rest of the country too, clean air remains a pipe results advertisementThe latest data from the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change paints a conflicting picture nationwide. Mumbai reduced pollution by 44 per cent since 2019 while Kolkata improved only by 37 per cent. Cities with a smaller population, such as Bareilly and Varanasi, witnessed remarkable reductions—50-75 per the progress has been uneven—PM10 (particulate matter with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less) levels are more than 30 per cent higher in Visakhapatnam and Maharashtra's Aurangabad and Jalgaon than seven years ago. Between 2017-18 and 2024-25, Mumbai led the four major metros in reducing PM10 concentrations, bringing levels down by 44 per cent—from 161 g/m to 90 g/m. Kolkata followed with a 37 per cent drop, lowering its average from 147 g/m to 92 g/ despite being at the centre of India's clean air conversation, managed just a 15 per cent decline, from a dangerously high 241 g/m to 203 g/m. Chennai saw the smallest improvement, with PM10 levels falling only 12 per cent, from 66 g/m to 58 g/ policymakers concede that smog has reached 'unhealthy levels' in more regions, they do not openly attribute fatalities to pollution. Asked about the impact of air pollution on public health during Question Hour in Parliament recently, the government said health effects depended on people's diet, immunity and socio-economic factors, not just investment, limited returnsThat hedging sits awkwardly with the huge taxpayer-funded investment. So far, Rs 9,200 crore has been used up from the Rs 13,036 crore issued to 130 cities over five years for battling pollution. But only 22 cities have attained PM10 levels safe for public despite its emergency response protocols to curb hazardous pollutants, old vehicle scrapping efforts and pollution monitoring, remains plagued by one of the highest PM concentrations. The monsoon season will be over soon and the time for burning the harvested crops to clear farms for new sowing will be here. So the city's environment department has announced it would be attempting to cloud seed—a method generally used for fighting drought—to tackle the anticipated spike in air progressProgress is steadier in other cities. Surat in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh's Raebareli, Kanpur and Lucknow have shown steady PM level improvement, though not as much to central funding as to better implementation and administration. For all the attention its air gets, Delhi, since 2019, has spent under Rs 14 crore of the Rs 62 crore the Centre allocated it under NCAP and the 15th Finance it's not that there have been no interventions The government attributes the improvements to Bharat Stage VI fuel norms, vehicle scrapping policies, control of dust pollution at construction sites, provision of electric buses through the PM E-bus Sewa project as also cleaner brick kilns in the National Capital Region (NCR), switch of industrial units to piped natural gas (PNG) or biomass, and directives to power plants to burn crop residue. Despite the claims, however, the Delhi government has yet to submit a common timeline to end the national Level 2, or 'red', rating of the Air Quality Index that stands above the 50 point level denoting safe air. No one is committing to a target number for the next five years. As Delhi waits for the annual November smog season, its gamble on artificial rain is starting to resemble a meteorological version of throwing chaff in a desperate attempt to gain traction to create a short-term breathing to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Unspent funds in pollution control scheme to carry over, no discontinuity in works: Environment ministry to Parliament panel
The Union Environment Ministry has told a parliamentary panel that there was no 'discontinuity' in the implementation of the Control of Pollution scheme at ground level, and that funds unspent in the financial year 2024-25 will get carried forward. The Centre's response was noted in the report of the parliamentary standing committee on science and technology, environment, forest and climate change, tabled in Parliament Friday. The ministry was responding to the panel's observations and criticism made in its March report over expenditure of less than 1 per cent of the Rs 858 crore allocated for the scheme, till January 21, 2025. The ministry had previously informed the committee that the funds could not be utilised, as approval for the scheme's continuation was still pending. In response to the committee's observations that fund utilisation during 2024-25 was unsatisfactory, the ministry said, 'The utilisation of funds in FY 2024-25 declined mainly due to allocation of funds for the 'Control of Pollution' scheme in March 2025, by clubbing together of funds for FY 2024-25 and 2025-26. Cabinet approved an amount of Rs 1949.80 crore for FY 2024-25 and FY 2025-26 in March 2025, along with the direction that unutilised funds of FY 2024-25 will be carried over/ re-allocated to FY 2025-26.' 'The ministry will take all possible measures like advance planning, preparation and execution of proposals pertaining to 'control of pollution' scheme in a time-bound manner to utilise the budgetary allocation under the scheme,' the committee report noted. The ministry explained that the control of pollution scheme involves providing gap funding support to 82 cities and also allows convergence with existing schemes and programmes. The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is one of the components of the control of pollution scheme, and other components include providing support to pollution control boards, and monitoring air, water and noise pollution in the country. 'NCAP cities were continuously implementing their city action plans through funds provided under NCAP as well as through convergence of funds from Central and State Govt. schemes and projects included in their respective city action plans. There was no discontinuity in implementation of the scheme at ground level,' the report stated, recording the ministry's response. The ministry added that it has already sanctioned Rs 835.5 crore, out of which an amount of RS 209.64 crore has been released to states and union territories and 82 cities for implementing city action plans, as well as pollution control measures by North Eastern state pollution control boards. Under NCAP, the target is to reduce particulate matter 10 (pollutants smaller than 10 micrometre or less) in 130 cities by 2026. While the 15th Finance Commission funds NCAP for 49 cities with over a million people, 82 cities are funded under the Control of Pollution scheme. In FY 2024-25, the report noted, cities have spent RS 419.35 crore to implement city action plans. The key activities undertaken across 82 cities under NCAP included end-to-end paving of roads covering 60 km in length, dust control on roads covering 700 km in length, mechanical sweeping of roads covering 550 km per day, development of 26 acres of green spaces and waste collection systems with a capacity of 12 tonnes/day. 'Out of 82 cities, 62 cities have shown improvement in air quality in terms of reduction in annual PM10 concentrations in FY 2024-25 with respect to the levels of FY 2017-18. Out of 82 cities, 19 cities have met National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM10 (60 μg/m3) in FY 2024-25,' the report stated. An award-winning journalist with 14 years of experience, Nikhil Ghanekar is an Assistant Editor with the National Bureau [Government] of The Indian Express in New Delhi. He primarily covers environmental policy matters which involve tracking key decisions and inner workings of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. He also covers the functioning of the National Green Tribunal and writes on the impact of environmental policies on wildlife conservation, forestry issues and climate change. Nikhil joined The Indian Express in 2024. Originally from Mumbai, he has worked in publications such as Tehelka, Hindustan Times, DNA Newspaper, News18 and Indiaspend. In the past 14 years, he has written on a range of subjects such as sports, current affairs, civic issues, city centric environment news, central government policies and politics. ... Read More
Time of India
5 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Centre, states must work together to implement scalable solutions to tackle air pollution: Tharoor
New Delhi: Batting for concerted action to tackle air pollution, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has called on the Central government and states to work together, alongside experts, industry, civil society and citizens, to align efforts and implement scalable solutions -- from clean transport to cleaner fuels. Noting that air pollution transcends economic, social and political divides and is both a grave public health crisis and an environmental emergency, Tharoor said it demands not just our best ideas, but our collective courage and concerted action across sectors and states. The Thiruvananthapuram MP made the remarks at a high-level roundtable on 'Clean Air and Public Health: Advancing Collective Action' at the India Habitat Centre here on Tuesday. Hosted by Tharoor and convened by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and AirQualityAsia (AQA), the dialogue was the seventh such roundtable since 2017 that brings together India's leading air quality experts, policymakers, health professionals, and civil society actors to deliberate on scalable, cross-sectoral solutions to reduce air pollution and improve public health across cities, towns, and villages. Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation, Rao Inderjit Singh, said in his inaugural address that clean air is a national imperative that needed to be addressed. "Platforms like this bring together sharper minds and practical ideas that can help us in the government in taking tangible steps forward. I look forward to the insights from today's discussion contributing to initiatives like the National Clean Air Programme and beyond," he said. In his opening address, Tharoor said the evidence is stark as nearly 70 per cent of our population -- around 980 million people -- are breathing air that fails to meet even "our own national standards" (as of 2023). "Delhi may have recorded its cleanest July in a decade, but just last winter, it suffered its worst air quality in four years. The Central government and states must work together, alongside experts,industry, civil society, and citizens, to align our efforts and implement scalable solutions -- from clean transport to cleaner fuels," Tharoor said. "If we can sustain this momentum, we can turn the aspiration for clean air into a lasting reality," he added. The roundtable brought together MPs representing diverse states, including Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena-UBT), Sudhanshu Trivedi (BJP) Sasmit Patra (BJD), Vivek Tankha (Congress), Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu (TDP), P P Chaudhary (BJP) and Naveen Jindal (BJP), among others. Arunabha Ghosh, founder-CEO of CEEW and member, Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), said, "Air pollution is a liability, but clean air is an economic asset. It improves worker productivity, educational outcomes, talent attraction to our cities, and even foreign investment." "The more we see clean air as an economic driver -- not just an environmental goal -- the faster we can bring in the full force of government, industry, and civil society. This isn't just about regulators or ministries -- it's about all of us. "We must bridge the gap between being economic agents by day and citizens by night. Clean air must become a shared, national priority," Ghosh said. Soumya Swaminathan, chairperson of the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, said air pollution is the number one health risk in India today -- linked not just to asthma and lung disease but also to diabetes, heart attacks, dementia, and poor brain development in children. "The health ministry faces the consequences, but the responsibility lies across all ministries. Clean air must be seen not as a cost but as a public good and an investment in the health of current and future generations," she said. The dialogue proposed coordinated actions such as establishing a council of state environment ministers to drive inter-state collaboration and strengthen environmental federalism. PTI
