Clean air needs targets, timelines, accountability, Pg13

Key Highlights:

• India's air quality initiatives, including Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan and the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), face challenges in achieving tangible improvements despite policy frameworks.
• The Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan assesses administrative actions rather than actual particulate matter reduction, with only 2.5% of a city's score based on pollution levels.
• Lucknow was ranked India's best-performing million-plus city in the latest Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan, despite its PM10 levels still being more than double the national safety standard.
• Delhi's winter air quality has shown no significant improvement over the last four years, even with measures under the Graded Response Action Plan.
• Air pollution imposes a significant economic burden on South Asia, equivalent to 10% of regional GDP annually, due to reduced productivity and healthcare costs.
• A report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition suggests that every rupee invested in clean air measures could yield Rs 21 in economic and health benefits.

Detailed Insights:

• The current clean air strategy in India is criticized for a "blind spot" that prioritizes procedural compliance over actual air quality outcomes.
• The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched in 2019, aims for a 20-30% reduction in PM10 concentrations by 2024-25, revised to 40% or national standards by 2025-26.
• Delayed implementation of air quality measures not only postpones benefits but also destroys them, as seen in the reduced impact on cumulative PM2.5 exposure with an eight-year delay.
• Institutional fragmentation, where air pollution sources fall under various ministries and departments, is identified as a major obstacle to effective implementation.
• India has demonstrated capacity for complex transitions, such as the expansion of rural LPG connections under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, when responsibilities are clear.
• Future clean air policies, like NCAP 2.0, need to measure success by human exposure reduction, speed of relief, and accountability for missed deadlines.
• Central grants and Finance Commission transfers should be linked to sustained reductions in pollution exposure to incentivize effective action.

Key Concepts Involved:

• National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): A national-level strategy launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to reduce air pollution in 131 non-attainment cities.
• Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan: An annual assessment introduced in 2022-23 under NCAP to rank cities based on their efforts in implementing air pollution control measures.
• Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP): An emergency response framework implemented in 2017 for Delhi-NCR to combat air pollution based on the severity of the Air Quality Index.
• PM10 and PM2.5: Particulate matter refers to microscopic solid or liquid particles suspended in the air; PM10 are particles 10 micrometers or less, while PM2.5 are finer particles 2.5 micrometers or less, posing greater health risks.