In clean air survey, Nalagarh & Sundernagar among top three

Shimla, December 3

Residents could be inhaling cleaner air as the air quality index (AQI) of Himachal has improved from 81 to 61 over the past four years, besides Sundernagar and Nalagarh being ranked second and third, respectively, in the latest Swachh Vayu Survekshan-2022.

Multi-pronged strategy

• The state adopted a multi-pronged strategy by involving all stakeholder depts and prepared an action plan for mitigation of air pollution in all non-attainment cities and towns (NAC/Ts)
• Effective periodic review of Air Quality Monitoring Committee’s action plan and efforts of the State Pollution Control Board as well as efforts at the city level have led to over 40 per cent reduction in PM10 concentration

The improvement in the air quality since 2017 is being attributed to the effective enforcement of pollution control and environmental laws by the State Pollution Control Board. Seven cities Baddi, Damtal, Kala Amb, Nalagarh, Paonta Sahib, Parwanoo and Sundernagar, majorly industrial town, had been placed in the non-attainment cities and towns categories (NAC/Ts) with high particulate matter, leading to poor air quality.

Now, Sundernagar and Nalagarh will be excluded from the list of NAC/Ts as the two have got the second and third ranking in terms of the cities which have improved their air quality levels. The award was received by Manoj Chauhan, Chief Scientific Officer, State Pollution Control Board.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, conferred the awards under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). A cash award of Rs 25 lakh and 12.50 lakh were awarded to Sundernagar and Nalagarh.

Apoorv Devgan, Member Secretary, Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board, said the problem to tackle was higher concentration of PM 10 in the ambient environment which had led to the categorisation of these seven cities/towns under the category of non-attainment.

“The state has adopted a multi-pronged strategy by involving all stakeholder departments and prepared an action plan for mitigation the air pollution in all NAC/Ts,” said Devgan. The board has upgraded the air monitoring capability in all NAC/Ts along with effective periodic review in the implementation of the action plan by the Air Quality Monitoring Committee, headed by Additional Chief Secretary (Environment, Science and Technology).

He said the efforts of the State Pollution Control Board as well as city-level implementation committee, headed by the District Magistrates, had been succeeded in the reduction of more than 40 per cent PM10 concentration in the ambient environment.

The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2018 for the containment of air quality in 131 NAC/Ts in India. Various components of the action plan include containment of vehicular emissions, suppression of road dust and other fugitive emissions, control of air pollution from bio-mass burning, construction and demolition activities and industrial air pollution.