MoEF sends note on National Clean Air Programme funding for Finance Ministry's appraisal

Over a month after it closed the window for public comments and objections on the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), the Union Environment ministry has sent an Expenditure Finance Committee note on the plan for Finance Ministry's appraisal and approval, sources from the environment ministry said. The Rs 637-crore plan was unveiled in April with the broad goal of meeting the prescribed annual average ambient air quality standards at all locations in the country.

"We are awaiting the finance ministry's approval. While the plan has proposed 20 components, the final version can be rolled out only after the EFC note gets a go ahead as currently it is subject to revisions in funding for different components," an environment ministry official said, on the condition of anonymity.

The NCAP is a first such wide ranging plan formulated by the Centre, involving coordination with state governments to curb the high levels of pollution. Environmentalists and policy campaigners have called the plan heavy on data collection, research and capacity building. The plan will receive 100 per cent funding from the central government.

Under NCAP's 20-point plan, expanding the network of air quality monitoring stations, continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations, rural pollution monitoring, source apportionment studies and creating a 10-city super network are some of the major targets. The plan also mandates creating city-specific action plans to tackle air pollution in 94 non-attainment cities and towns across the country that have consistently not met the air quality standards.

According to ministry officials, 75 of the 94 non-attainment cities have submitted their action plans and the state governments would have to fund a bulk of the funding for implementing these plans.

The national air quality monitoring programme consists of 691 manual operating stations, covering 303 cities in 29 states. The NCAP has proposed to increase manual monitoring stations to 1,000 stations from existing 691 at a proposed cost of Rs 24 crore. Further, the continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations (CAAQMS) would be increased from 129 to 210 at a proposed cost of Rs120 crore.

Going Green

Rs 637-cr plan was unveiled in April with the goal of meeting prescribed annual average ambient air quality standards.

NCAP was formulated to curb the high levels of pollution.