REPORT OF CENTRE OF SCI & ENVIRONMENT (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: A new report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed that 64% of National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) funds are being spent on road dust mitigation to reduce PM10 pollution.

Key Findings of Report

• The CSE report has appraised efforts to curb air pollution under the national scheme through the lens of fund utilisation, city-level performance in improving air quality, and implementation gaps.
• Expenditure on PM10 Pollution: The heavy focus on PM10 pollution under NCAP has meant that road paving and widening, pothole repairs, water sprinkling, and procurement of mechanised sweepers accounted for a dominant share in the expenditure under NCAP, the report said.
• Fund Allocation for Road Dust Mitigation: A review of the sectoral patterns showed that 64 per cent of the total funds went into road dust mitigation, while only 12.63% and 14.51% funds were spent on combustion sources of pollution like vehicles and biomass burning, respectively. 

oA mere 0.61% was spent on industrial pollution control.

• NGT Scrutiny of NCAP Expenditure: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) is also scrutinising the national scheme in a suo matter, appraising expenditure under NCAP across 53 cities.
• Pollution Reduction Targets: These cities, known as non-attainment cities for not meeting pollution standards, have to cut their pollution levels by 40% by 2025-26 with 2019-20 as a base year.
• Disproportionate Focus on Dust Control: The report highlighted that the programme has a disproportionate focus on dust control and neglects key combustion sources and the transport sector.

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)

• About: This marks the inaugural attempt in the nation to establish a national framework for managing air quality, complete with a time-bound reduction objective.
• Aim: To improve air quality in 131 cities (non-attainment cities and Million Plus Cities) in 24 States/UTs by engaging all stakeholders.
• Launched: January 2019
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
• Target: To achieve 20% to 30% reduction in concentrations of PM10(particulate matter of diameter between 10 and 2.5 micrometer) and PM2.