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(1) National Air Quality Monitoring Programme
♤ In India, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has been executing a nationwide programme of ambient air quality monitoring known as National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP).
♤ The National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) is undertaken in India
(i) to determine status and trends of ambient air quality;
(ii) to ascertain the compliance of NAAQS;
(iii) to identify non-attainment cities;
(iv) to understand the natural process of cleaning in the atmosphere; and
(v) to undertake preventive and corrective measures.
♤ Annual average concentration of SOx levels are within the prescribed National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).
♤ This reduction from earlier levels is due to various measures taken, including the use of CNG in public transport in Delhi, the reduction of sulphur in diesel and use of LPG instead of coal as a domestic fuel.
♤ A mixed trend is observed in NO2 levels due to various measures taken for vehicular pollution control,
such as stricter vehicular emission norms being partially offset by increased NOx levels due to the use of CNG in urban transport.
♤ Total suspended particulates, however, are still a matter of concern in several urban and semi urban areas.
(b) National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
♤ National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) were notified in the year 1982, duly revised in 1994 based on health criteria and land uses.
♤ The NAAQS have been revisited and revised in November 2009 for 12 pollutants, which include
1. sulphur dioxide (SO2),
2. nitrogen dioxide (NO2),
3. particulate matter having size less than 10 micron (PM10),
4. particulate matter having size less than 2.5 micron (PM2.5),
5. ozone,
6. lead,
7. carbon monoxide (CO),
8. arsenic,
9. nickel,
10. benzene,
11. ammonia, and
12. benzopyrene.
(c) National Air Quality Index
♤ National Air Quality Index was launched by the Prime Minister in April, 2015 starting with 14 cities to disseminate air quality information. The AQI has six categories of air quality, viz Good, Satisfactory, Moderately Polluted, Poor, Very Poor and Severe with distinct colour scheme. Each of these categories is associated with likely health impacts. AQI considers eight pollutants (PM10, PM 2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3 and Pb) for which (up to 24-hourly averaging period) National Ambient Air Quality Standards are prescribed.