NCAP: Knowledge partners, institutes roped in to implement plans to curb air pollution in cities

The Union Environment Ministry on Friday roped in 82 knowledge partners and institutes of repute for the implementation of city-specific action plans to curb air pollution in 132 identified cities under the National Clean Air Programme NCAP.

The Union Environment Ministry on Friday roped in 82 knowledge partners and institutes of repute for the implementation of 'city-specific action plans' to curb air pollution in 132 identified cities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). An MoU was signed between representatives of state pollution control boards, urban local bodies and the institutes of repute in this regard in the presence of Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar. A National Knowledge Network comprising leading air quality specialists has also been constituted as a technical advisory group to support activities under the NCAP and guide local institutes of repute (IoRs) in conducting air quality researches, the ministry said. The NCAP is a long-term, time-bound, national-level strategy to tackle air pollution problem across the country in a comprehensive manner with targets to achieve 20 percent to 30 percent reduction in particulate matter concentrations by 2024 (with 2017 as base year). ''City-specific action plans have been prepared to control air pollution sources through multi-dimensional actions by bringing several implementation agencies together,'' the ministry said in a statement.

Expansion of ambient air quality network, source apportionment studies, public awareness, grievance redressal mechanism and sector specific action points are part of these action plans, it said. On the occasion, Javadekar stressed the need for everyone to work together to make India pollution-free and said “there should be no politics in it”.

He also urged states to quickly procure e-buses for public transport sanctioned under the FAME Scheme. “Only 600 buses have been procured and are operational despite allocation of funds for 6000 e-buses to different cities across the country,” the minister said. Javadekar said he has written to chief ministers that if any city fails to utilise the funds sanctioned for procurement of e-buses, the allocation will go to other cities.

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