Efforts to improve air quality show positive trends: Bhupender Yadav

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday said efforts to improve air quality have shown positive trends in cities across the country and participative governance holds the key to achieving what India aspires. Addressing the 'Sensitization cum Review Workshop - National Clean Air Programme' (NCAP) in Chennai, he said it was time to make 'clean air for all' a participative mission.

NCAP is a national-level strategy for a 20 per cent to 30 per cent reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 concentration by 2024, with 2017 as the base year for comparison.

The programme covers 132 non-attainment cities which do not meet the prescribed national ambient air quality standards.

Yadav said India will comprehensively achieve the objectives of NCAP with the participation, coordination, collaboration, and sustained efforts of all stakeholders.

"The air quality improvement efforts have shown positive trends in cities across the country. But if we wish to achieve what we aspire, 'Jan Bhagidari' or participative governance holds the key," he said.

He praised Tamil Nadu saying the air quality in Chennai, Madurai and Trichy, all three million-plus cities, is within the national ambient air quality standards.

Yadav also lauded the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board for its e-commute programme, under which all the officials of the board use non-fossil fuel-driven vehicles to commute to office every Wednesday.

The minister appealed to the youth to become active agents in the mission to improve air quality by adopting sustainable lifestyles, appropriate behaviours and attitudes.