Revision of Air Quality Standards

 

Revision of Air Quality Standards

Posted On: 03 FEB 2022 3:55PM by PIB Delhi

Government has notified National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for 12 pollutants in 2009 to protect public health and environment from air pollution.

Review of the existing standards, criteria governing these standards as well as incorporating new parameters with advances in scientific research is a continuous process. With changes in fuel, technology and demographics as well as advances in air pollution measurement techniques, risk and exposure assessment, review of Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are carried for better improvement in public health. Review of NAAQS has been sanctioned to a joint team lead by IIT Kanpur.

The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 stipulates functions of Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Board as given below:

Section 16(2)(h) – Central Pollution Control Board may lay down standards for quality of air.

Section 17(1)(g) – State Pollution Control Board shall lay down, in consultation with the Central Pollution Control Board and having regard to the standards for the quality of air laid down by the Central Pollution Control Board, standards for emission of air pollutants into the atmosphere from industrial plants and automobiles or for the discharge of any air pollutant into the atmosphere from any other source whatsoever not being a ship or an aircraft.

World Health Organisation (WHO) has published WHO’s Air Quality guideline (AQG) in September, 2021, The guideline makes recommendations for air quality levels to protect health of population and specifically mention that national standards should be decided in due consideration of other governing factors like background level, socio-economic status, national goals and further scientific research based outcome.

However, these guidelines for ambient air quality are guidance to policy makers and not legally binding. Periodic revision of NAAQS is undertaken to include new advancements in air pollution monitoring and its health impact.

This information was given by Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change in Rajya Sabha today.

Historic resolution on Plastic Pollution adopted by 175 countries at the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly

 

Historic resolution on Plastic Pollution adopted by 175 countries at the fifth United Nations Environment Assembly

India engaged constructively with all member states to develop consensus on the resolution for driving global action on plastic pollution

India has embarked on the journey to end plastic pollution by taking sound and effective measures: Shri Bhupender Yadav

Posted On: 03 MAR 2022 1:54PM by PIB Delhi

Addressing plastic pollution is recognized as a global environmental challenge. The resumed session of fifth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) held from 28th February 2022 to 2nd March 2022 in Nairobi, considered three draft resolutions to address plastic pollution. One of the draft resolutions under consideration was that of India. The draft resolution submitted by India called for immediate collective voluntary action by countries.

India engaged constructively with all member states in UNEA 5.2 to develop consensus on the resolution for driving global action on plastic pollution by setting up of an intergovernmental negotiating committee for a new international legally binding treaty.

On the insistence of India, the principle of national circumstances and capability while taking actions to address plastic pollution was included in the text of the resolution to allow developing countries follow their development trajectories.

India also stood for not mandating the inter-governmental negotiating committee with development of targets, definitions, formats and methodologies, at this stage, pre-judging the outcome of deliberations of the Committee. The provision for immediate collective voluntary actions by the countries was also included to address plastic pollution on urgent and continual basis.

After long protracted negotiations, the principal objectives of India’s draft resolution were sufficiently addressed in the resolution on “End plastic pollution: Towards an international legally binding instrument” adopted in the resumed fifth session of UNEA, which concluded on 2nd March 2022. The UNEA 5.2 will be remembered for agreeing for collective global action while respecting national circumstances and capabilities.

Terming the adoption by 175 countries as historic, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav said that under the leadership of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, India has embarked on the journey to end plastic pollution by taking sound and effective measures through EPR on plastic packaging as well as putting a ban on single-use plastic items having low utility and high littering potential.

Disposal of Medical Waste

 

Disposal of Medical Waste

Posted On: 14 MAR 2022 4:03PM by PIB Delhi

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) compiles country-wide annual data of bio-medical waste (BMW) generation, collection and treatment based on the annual reports submitted by respective State Pollution Control Boards/ Pollution Control Committees (SPCBs/ PCCs). About 656 Tons/Day (TPD) of BMW was generated in the year 2020, out of which 590 TPD was collected and treated by the Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment facilities (CBWTFs). Further, about 84.61 TPD of incrementalCOVID-19 BMW was generated between May 2020 to February 2022 in the country from healthcare facilities, quarantine centres/ camps, sample collection centres, laboratories, home care/ home isolations centres engaged in treatment, diagnosis and quarantine of COVID-19 infected or suspected patients.

 

The CPCB had issued “Guidelines for Handling, treatment and disposal of waste generated during treatment, diagnostics and quarantine of COVID-19 patients” in March, 2020 and developed an application namely, COVID19BWM to track the generation and treatment of COVID-19 BMW at CBWTFs. There are no reported cases of violation of Guidelines; however, the CPCB has issued notices to 33 nos. of CBWTFs across the country for not reporting data on COVID19BWM, as mentioned below:

 

• Fifteen (15) in Karnataka
• Five (5) in Maharashtra
• Two (2) CBWTFs each in Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana
• One (1) each in Odisha, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh

 

There are 208 Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facilities (CBWTFs) operational in the country for treatment and disposal of Bio-medical Waste (BMW) as per the information furnished by SPCBs/ PCCs for the year 2020. The State/ UT-wise details are Annexed.

 

There are no operational CBWTFs in nine (9) States/ Union Territories. The BMW treatment and disposal in these areas is done through captive treatment facilities operated by healthcare facilities themselves.

 

To ensure safety of workers engaged in BMW handling and collection, the CPCB guidelines on “Handling, treatment and disposal of waste generated during treatment, diagnostics and quarantine of COVID-19 patients” prescribe for regular sanitization and provision of adequate personal protective equipment like three layer masks, splash proof aprons/gowns, nitrile gloves, gum boots and safety goggles.

 

The Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 (BMWM Rules, 2016) notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change,  (MoEFCC) stipulates source segregation of BMW into four categories and prescribe category-specific effective technological options like incineration, autoclaving, microwaving, hydroclaving and chemical disinfection. The BMWM Rules, 2016 also include provisions to adopt new technologies for BMW treatment, after validation. Further, the MoEFCC is also implementing a central sector scheme to provide financial support to innovative research projects aimed at environmentally sound management of waste, including BMW.

 

Annexure

 

State-wise details of Operational CBWTFs in India

 

Name of the State/Union Territory	Operational CBWTFs
Andaman Nicobar	Nil
Andhra Pradesh	12
Arunachal Pradesh	Nil
Assam	1
Bihar	4
Chandigarh	1
Chhattisgarh	4
Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli	Nil
Delhi	2
Goa	Nil
Gujarat	20
Haryana	11
Himachal Pradesh	3
Jharkhand	4
Jammu & Kashmir	3
Karnataka	25
Kerala	1
Ladakh	Nil
Lakshadweep	Nil
Madhya Pradesh	12
Maharashtra	30
Manipur	1
Meghalaya	1
Mizoram	Nil
Nagaland	Nil
Odisha	6
Puducherry	1
Punjab	5
Rajasthan	11
Sikkim	Nil
Tamil Nadu	10
Telangana	11
Tripura	Nil
Uttarakhand	2
Uttar Pradesh	21
West Bengal	6
Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS)	Nil
Total	208

(Source:CPCB)

 

This information was given by Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change in Lok Sabha today.

 

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Pollution Control Scheme

 

Pollution Control Scheme

Posted On: 14 MAR 2022 4:04PM by PIB Delhi

Under the Central Sector Scheme (CSS) ‘Control of Pollution, funds are released to different Central and State government agencies which inter alia include Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) for various sub-components viz. Assistance for Abatement of Pollution in lieu of Water Cess funds subsumed with GST; National Clean Air Programme (NCAP); Environmental Monitoring Programme; Assistance for Abatement of Pollution & Ongoing projects under the CETP and CT Scheme; Research Programmes and Outreach Activities. The details of funding are as under:

 

Yearly funds status of Control of Pollution scheme

 

(Amount in Crore Rs.)

Year	Funds allocated (BE)	Funds allocated (RE)	Funds released (Actual)
2019-20	460.96	445.00	408.86
2020-21	460.96	267.50	267.41
2021-22	470.00	390.10	251.98*

*Funds released up to 28.02.2022

 

Following Committees have been constituted under NCAP for Co-ordination at Central and State Level:

 

At the Central level : Apex Committee, Steering Committee, Monitoring Committee, and Implementation Committee;

 

At the State level :. Steering Committees and Implementation Committees;

 

At the City level : Implementation Committees and Monitoring Committees.

 

There is a Project Appraisal Committee also for appraising individual project proposals of the centrally sponsored scheme ‘Control of Pollution in the Ministry.

 

This information was given by Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change in Lok Sabha today.

Management of E-waste

 Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Management of E-waste

Posted On: 14 MAR 2022 4:05PM by PIB Delhi

Under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, twenty-one (21) types of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) have been notified. These notified EEE at the end of their life becomes E-Waste. The input data for estimation of generation of e-waste is available only from Financial Year (FY) 2017 - 18 and for national level generation only. Information on national level e-waste generation for the financial year 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 is given in the table below:

 

S.No.	Financial Year	Generation (Tonnes)
1.	2017-2018	7,08,445
2.	2018-2019	7,71,215
3.	2019-2020	10,14,961.2

 

The import and export of hazardous and other wastes is regulated under the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 notified by the Ministry. Government had banned import of e-waste in the country by listing e-waste in the Schedule VI (Basel No. A1180) of the said rules.The increase in generation of e-waste is due to increase in the sales of EEE in the Country in previous years.

 

The management of e-waste in the Country is regulated under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016. Under the said Rules, the responsibility of disposal of e-waste in a scientific and environmentally sound manner has been assigned to Producers of notified Electrical & Electronic Equipment (EEE) as listed in Schedule – I of the said rules under the principle of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Under EPR regime producers of EEE, have given annual e-waste collection and recycling targets based on the generation from the previously sold EEE or based on sales of EEE as the case may be.

 

The compliance monitoring is done through Action Plan developed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for enforcement of E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016 in the Country. The major action points include identification of Non-EPRAuthorization producers, State/UT wise inventorization of e-waste, verification of system provided by producers for e-waste channelization, verification of facilities of dismantlers/recyclers, drives for checking informal activities, formulation of State Level Committee for monitoring implementation of rules and mass awareness activities etc.Under the action plan, monitoring and compliance of producers are ensured through Sate Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees. Further, under the existing rules, provisions are in place for action against the companies who are violating the said rules.

 

This information was given by Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change in Lok Sabha today.