- 82 Knowledge Partners & Institutes of Repute (IITs, CSIR labs & State Engineering Colleges) have been roped in to help the 132 Non-Attainment cities implement their action plans for reducing air pollution.
- A National Knowledge Network consisting of leading air quality specialists has been constituted as a technical advisory group for supporting activities under NCAP. It will also guide local Institutes of Repute (IoRs) in conducting air quality research.
- NCAP, a national level strategy aims to tackle air pollution by achieving 20%-30% reduction in Particulate Matter concentrations(i.e. PM2.5 and PM10) in at least 102 cities by 2024 (with 2017 as base year).
- During the event, an agreement was signed between Noida & Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh with IIT Delhi. IIT Delhi will act as a knowledge partner to help the cities achieve their target.
132 Non-Attainment Cities
- Non- Attainment Cities are the cities which do not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
- Such cities include Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Agra, Kanpur, Varanasi, Bengaluru, Noida, Ghaziabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Patna and others in the list of 132.
- NCAP aims to reduce air pollution in these cities through expansion of air quality network, source apportionment studies, public awareness, grievance redressal mechanism & sector specific action points.
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP):
- It was launched in 2019 by MoEFCC.
- It is the 1st ever effort in India to frame a national framework for air quality management with a time-bound reduction target.
- So far, INR 336 crore has been disbursed to State Pollution Control Boards under NCAP.
e-Buses under FAME Scheme
During the event, Prakash Javadekar urged the state governments to procure e-buses for public transport purposes under the FAME India scheme (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India).
- Government has allocated 6000 e-buses to different cities across India, of which 600 have been procured and are operational.
- The FAME scheme launched in 2015 as a part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan. It is monitored by the Department of Heavy Industries, the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.
Recent Related News:
i.August 10, 2020, Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB) has signed a MoA with IIT Delhi to set up a Geographical Information System (GIS) based platform for air quality management in Bihar.
About Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC):
Union Minister – Prakash Javadekar (Rajya Sabha MP from Maharashtra)
Minister of State – Babul Supriyo (Lok Sabha MP, Constituency – Asansol, West Bengal)