India's Environment Ministry Toughens Stand Against Pollution

November 23, 2009 9:28 a.m. EST

New Delhi, India (AHN) - The Ministry of Environment and Forests announced on Wednesday the revised national ambient air quality standards. The revision came after 15 years and will provide a legal framework for the control of air pollution and subsequently improve public health.

According to a ministry statement, "The review of the previous NAAQS and inclusion of new parameters was undertaken by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in association with the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. The Proposal for revision in NAAQS was deliberated upon extensively and has been notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 on 16.11.2009 by the Ministry of Environment and Forests."

These revised standards are in line with the latest advancement in technology and research and is at par with global best practices, the release informed.

One of the provisions in the new standards has removed the area classification based on land-use, which means that industrial areas will have to conform to the same standards as followed by residential areas.  More stringent limits has also been set for residential areas.

"In furtherance of these Standards, the CPCB is in the process of creating a roadmap for the generation of maintenance of database, monitoring of required infrastructure and for the development of protocols. The ministry is also in the process of developing additional support systems of enforcement such as the National Environment Protection Authority (NEPA) and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to ensure the effective enforcement of the standards." The statement said.

The Center for Science and Environment (CSE), a leading NGO working for the cause of the environment has welcomed the new standards. "CSE has been demanding these norms, proposals for which have been languishing with the ministry for over three years. It has been a long and protracted battle, and we have fought very hard for them," said Anumita Roychoudhury, associate director, CSE and head of its Right to Clean Air Campaign.

She added: "With pollution levels going up in almost every Indian city, this was urgently needed to raise the bar of protection for public health."

Although the standards are tighter now there is still an urgent need for controlling the increasing numbers and dieselization of car fleets. "We need measures that will restrain the use of cars and encourage the use of public transport," says CSE director Sunita Narain.

Diesel vehicles are known to be bigger polluters as they emit higher smoke, particles and NOx.

In Delhi over 1000 new cars or personal vehicles hit the road every day. According to the Society for Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), market share of diesel cars is expected to be 50 percent of total car sales by 2010.