The Cost of Clearing The Air

Context: Funds allotted for tackling the air pollution are not in consonance with the scale of the air pollution problem.

Steps taken by the government to reduce pollution

• National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): The Ministry of Finance announced a ?4,400 crore package for 2020-21 to tackle air pollution in 102 of India’s most polluted cities under NCAP

• It aims to reduce particulate pollution by 20%-30% from 2017 levels by 2024.
• Performance-based funds disbursal: Funds allotted to the States are based on how cities achieve certain ‘performance parameters’.

Mismatch between NCAP Fund and the Scale of Problem

• Data Unavailability: hinders the determination of the degree of pollution that is contributed by activities like construction, road dust, vehicle movement and stubble burning. 
• Only 3 States had all their installed monitors providing readings from 2016 to 2018. 
• 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.
• While a manual machine is being replaced with automatic ones, these are mostly imported and thus lead to increased dependencies.
• Lack of Budgetary Allocation: don’t reflect the true cost of reducing air pollution:
• Lack of account for trained manpower and support system in fund disbursal: Out of the ? 40 crores assigned top 4 cities in Maharashtra, ?11 crores was spent on mechanical street sweepers.

• Money alone doesn’t work: In NCR, at least ?600 crores were spent on subsidizing stubble prohibiting equipment, yet there were burning incidents this year.

Conclusion: While funds are critical, proper enforcement, adequate staff and stemming the sources of pollution are vital for meeting NCAP target.