The cost of clearing the air
Context:
- In February, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a Rs. 4,400 crore package for 2020-21 to tackle air pollution in 102 of India’s most polluted cities.
- The funds would be used to reduce particulate matter by 20%-30% from 2017 levels by 2024 under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
Concerns
Inadequate allocation
- Though it was the largest-ever yearly allocation by a government to specifically tackle air pollution, the fine print revealed that only half the money was finally allotted to 15 States (and 42 cities in them) in November.
- The rest will be given in January based on how cities achieve certain ‘performance parameters’ that are still being worked out by the Centre.
The scale of the problem
- It is unclear if this amount is adequate to handle the task of improving air quality since the scale of the problem is unknown.
Air quality monitors
- Several of the States with the most polluted cities that have been allotted NCAP funds are expected to spend a substantial fraction in the act of measurement.
- Only Delhi has managed to firmly install an extensive network of continuous ambient air quality monitors about 37 and the highest in the country managed by several government or allied bodies.
Lack of data availability
- An analysis by research agencies Carbon Copy and Respirer Living Sciences recently found that only 59 out of 122 cities had PM 2.5 data available.
Usage of old machines
- Historically, cities have used manual machines to measure specific pollutants and their use has been inadequate.
- Now manual machines are being replaced by automatic ones and India is still largely reliant on imported machines though efforts are underway to make and install low-cost ones.
Cleaning up
- The funds don’t account for the trained manpower and the support system necessary to effectively maintain the systems and these costs are likely to be significant.
- Pollution clean-up activities have been assigned 50% of this budget and another Rs. 11 crore are allotted for mechanical street sweepers. Therefore, budgetary allocations alone don’t reflect the true cost of reducing air pollution.
Money alone doesn’t work
- In the case of the National Capital Region, at least Rs. 600 crore was spent by the Ministry of Agriculture over two years to provide subsidised equipment to farmers in Punjab and Haryana and dissuade them from burning paddy straw.
- Yet this year, there have been more farm fires than in the previous year and their contribution to Delhi’s winter air woes remain unchanged.
Conclusion
- While funds are critical, proper enforcement, adequate staff and stemming the sources of pollution on the ground are vital to the NCAP meeting its target.
| About National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) · Launched in January 2019, 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 Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on the basis of their ambient air quality data between 2014 and 2018 · Non-attainment cities are those which have been consistently showing poorer air quality than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. These include Delhi, Varanasi, Bhopal, Kolkata, Noida, Muzaffarpur, and Mumbai Key features · Target: Achieve a national-level target of 20-30% reduction (80-90 %) of PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by between 2017 and 2024. · Implementation: 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. · As part of the programme, the Centre also plans to scale up the air quality monitoring network across India. At least 4,000 monitors are needed across the country, instead of the existing 101 real-time air quality (AQ) monitors, according to an analysis. · 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. |
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