The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) submitted a report of annual average air pollution (PM 10) of 46 prominent towns and cities on February 7 on the floor of Parliament, officials informed.
The report mentions that there had been a drastic fall in air pollution levels in Raipur city from 2014 to 2016, they informed.
The CPCB releases the details of air pollution at regular intervals. The report states that in 2014, the average pollution levels was 325 micrograms per cubic meters, in 2015 it was 190 micrograms per cubic meters and in 2016 it was 150 micrograms per cubic meters, officials mentioned.
It may be mentioned here Chief Minister Raman Singh had directed the concerned Department officials to monitor the air quality standard.
Housing and Environment Department Principal Secretary Aman Kumar Singh said that the concerned authorities had prepared a master plan to improve the air quality of Raipur and the entire State.
According to the Protocol, Ambiotic Air Quality Monitoring Station is operating in Raipur city.
The pollution in and around Raipur is mainly due to the industrial pollutants, automobiles pollution, construction related, pollution due to burning of waste material. The Transport and Police departments are monitoring the pollution created by automobiles.
At the construction sites, officials are ordered to install cloth nets. Stern action is being taken against those who violate the pollution prevention guidelines, officials informed.
Steps are being taken by the Municipal Corporation authorities to monitor burning of garbage in the open spaces.
The industrial units had planted 3.50 lakh saplings in the Capital Industrial region which also helped in drastic reduction of pollution levels.
Notably, Chhattisgarh is among 16 other States in the country which had implemented advanced automated solutions to deal with environmental and pollution related applications and approvals, the Central Government had informed earlier.
These solutions provide hassle free, 24 X 7 'e-access' to businesses to apply online, track applications, file returns and statements and get online permissions under various Acts and regulations.
The States include-- Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal
Notably, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, in partnership with the World Bank Group had released the results of the Assessment of State Implementation of Business Reforms 2015-16.
The Assessment studies extent to which states have implemented DIPP’s 340-point Business Reform Action Plan (BRAP) for States/UTs 2015-16, covering the period July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.
The BRAP includes recommendations for reforms on 58 regulatory processes, policies, practices or procedures spread across 10 reform areas spanning the life cycle of a typical business.
There has been significant progress this year in the area of judicial reforms compared to last year, particularly due to the passage of the Commercial Courts, Commercial Divisions and Commercial Appellate Divisions Act.
To address the concern of time and costs associated with various legal processes, District Courts in various States have also made the provision of making online payments, e-filing and e-summons. Few States have also filled up vacancies in District Courts/commercial courts to ensure availability of adequate capacity for dealing with various cases.
The States which achieved the aforesaid milestones include — Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Telangana.
However, the present evaluation also highlights the need to properly communicate, monitor and evaluate these reforms to ensure that their impact is being felt on the ground.
Online pollution monitoring systems have been installed in 17 types of industries totalling 45 units which are located near Raipur city in August last year.
The information was provided by the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB) officials to Chief Secretary Vivek Dhand who chaired a meeting at the Mantralaya for reviewing pollution control measures taken in and around Raipur city recently.
In the meeting, the Chief Secretary issued directives to begin implementation of the Government subsidy scheme for conversion of diesel auto-rickshaws into CNG operated ones soon, so as to promote use of clean fuel.
Decision to launch a helpline number for lodging complaints regarding violation of noise/air pollution standards has also been taken, officials informed.
The officials concerned were also directed to inspect private hospitals and take necessary action for safe disposal of bio-medical waste.
It may be recalled that Chhattisgarh Government is already set to ban commercial vehicles which are more than 10 to 12 years old — mainly autos, trucks and buses.
Buses plying on long-distance routes which are more than 12-years-old are already denied permits. The trucks which are more than 10 years old will not be given permits to ply on the roads, officials informed.
Chief Minister Raman Singh had earlier convened a meeting of senior Government in a meeting of the Chhattisgarh Environment Protection Board at his official residence in June last year.
Singh, during the meeting had stated that the State Government would undertake stern measures to control pollution in the interest of the people of the State.
The truck owners will be given one-year period to buy new vehicles. Registration of more than 8-year-old vehicles will also not be done in Chhattisgarh. No permits will be given to autos which are more than 10 years old in Raipur, Durg-Bhilai and Bilaspur, the meeting was informed.
The auto owners will be given one-year period to convert the autos to e-Rickshaws. After this expiry period, the owners will not be given permits.
The CECB had will make available all pollution measuring data of the State online.
This was announced in a day-long workshop organised recently on monitoring and quality test of pollution measuring equipment jointly by CECB, CSIR- National Physical laboratory at Paryavas Bhavan in Naya Raipur.
In his address, CECB Chairman Aman Kumar Singh had stated that process had been commenced for setting up of online emission monitoring system in 17 categories of industries prone to high pollution as per the standard operating procedure.
He said that data collection software is being developed besides setting up of a Control Room and a SMS Alert System.
Singh informed that the pollution monitoring system had already been established in 133 industrial units and in Raipur among the category of 17 high pollution prone units, 45 units out of 46 now have online emission monitoring system.
One unit out of 46 had been closed for a long time, he informed.
CECB Secretary Devendra Singh informed that the CECB along with CSIR-National Physical laboratory will calibrate all the pollution monitoring equipment in the State.
