Action Plan Improving Air Quality

Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)

• In 2014, when a study by the WHO found that Delhi was the most polluted city in the world, panic spread in the Centre and the state government.
• Approved by the Supreme Court in 2016, the plan was formulated after several meetings that the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) held with state government and experts.
• The result was a plan that institutionalized measures to be taken when air quality deteriorates.
• GRAP works only as an emergency measure.

Measures taken under GRAP

Severe+ or Emergency

(PM 2.5 over 300 µg/cubic metre or PM10 over 500 µg/cu. m. for 48+ hours)

• Stop entry of trucks into Delhi (except essential commodities)
• Stop construction work
• Introduce odd/even scheme for private vehicles and minimise exemptions
• Task Force to decide any additional steps including shutting of schools

Severe

(PM 2.5 over 250 µg/cu. m. or PM10 over 430 µg/cu. m.)

• Close brick kilns, hot mix plants, stone crushers
• Maximise power generation from natural gas to reduce generation from coal
• Encourage public transport, with differential rates
• More frequent mechanized cleaning of road and sprinkling of water

Very Poor

(PM2.5 121-250 µg/cu. m. or PM10 351-430 µg/cu. m.)

• Stop use of diesel generator sets
• Enhance parking fee by 3-4 times
• Increase bus and Metro services
• Apartment owners to discourage burning fires in winter by providing electric heaters during winter
• Advisories to people with respiratory and cardiac conditions to restrict outdoor movement

Moderate to poor

(PM2.5 61-120 µg/cu. m. or PM10 101-350 µg/cu. m.)

• Heavy fines for garbage burning
• Close/enforce pollution control regulations in brick kilns and industries
• Mechanized sweeping on roads with heavy traffic and water sprinkling
• Strictly enforce a ban on firecrackers

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)

• It is a pollution control initiative to cut the concentration of particles (PM10 & PM2.5) by 20-30% by 2024.
• It will have 2017 as the base year for comparison and 2019 as the first year.
• It is to be implemented in 102 non-attainment cities. These cities are chosen on the basis of Ambient Air Quality India (2011-2015) and WHO report 2014/2018.
• The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was recently launched by – Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

Key features NCAP

• Achieve a national-level target of 20-30% reduction of PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by between 2017 and 2024.

• Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will execute this nation-wide programme in consonance with the section 162 (b) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1986.
• The plan includes 102 non-attainment cities, across 23 states and Union territories, which were identified by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the basis of their ambient air quality data between 2011 and 2015.
• The plan proposes a three-tier system, including real-time physical data collection, data archiving, and an action trigger system in all 102 cities, besides extensive plantation plans, research on clean-technologies, landscaping of major arterial roads, and stringent industrial standards.
• It also proposes state-level plans of e-mobility in the two-wheeler sector, rapid augmentation of charging infrastructure, stringent implementation of BS-VI norms, boosting public transportation system, and adoption of third-party audits for polluting industries.

Various committees: The national plan has proposed setting up an apex committee under environment minister, a steering committee under-secretary (environment) and a monitoring committee under a joint secretary. There would be project monitoring committees at the state-level with scientists and trained personnel.