Board approves plan to improve Chandigarh’s air quality

Dushyant Singh Pundir
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 17

In a major boost, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has approved the action plan prepared by the Chandigarh Pollution Control Committee to improve the quality of air in the city.

In a compliance report submitted before the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the CPCB stated that the action plan of the CPCC was approved by a committee constituted on the directions of the tribunal to review and approve the action plans for utilisation of the consent funds for improving the quality of air.

Rs 5 cr sanctioned

Debendra Dalai, Director, Environment, and Vice-Chairman, CPCC, said the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had sanctioned Rs5 crore for taking the required measures to improve the quality of air in the city.

Debendra Dalai, Director, Environment, and Vice-Chairman, CPCC, said the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had sanctioned Rs5 crore for taking the required measures to improve the quality of air in the city.

He said the money had been approved for financial year 2020-21 and they were likely to receive it this week only. The UT is among the 102 most-polluted cities. The Ministry releases the funds under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to reduce air pollution by 20-30 per cent by 2024 with 2017 as the reference year.

He said funds will be distributed among various agencies to take steps to monitor and mitigate air pollution in the city. Among other agencies, the Municipal Corporation will be allocated funds for purchasing road-sweeping machines and sprinklers. A part of the money would also be spent on creating awareness on environment, Dalai said.

He said the UT had already prepared a five-year action plan regarding improving the quality of air. Last year, the UT received a sum of Rs10 crore to improve the quality of air in the city, he added.

To monitor the air quality of the city on a real-time basis, the CPCC will soon set up two more continuous ambient air-quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS). Dalai said an order had been placed for the procurement of two CAAQMS. Meanwhile, two more such stations would be set up later, he added.

The NGT had directed the CPCC to assess the optimal number of stations required. Considering the population, three manual and five CAAQMS have to be installed in the city as per the criteria of the CPCB. However, the city already has a CAAQMS in Sector 25. Five CAAQMS would be set up, he added.