Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: Angul is the only place from Odisha to feature in the government’s clean air survey, the report of which was released, Thursday. The township ranked third in the ‘Swachh Vayu Survekshan’ conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in the category (third) of cities having population below three lakh. Parwanoo in Himachal Pradesh topped the category, while another city in the hill state, Kala Amb, took the second spot.
In the million-plus population category, Madhya Pradesh’s Indore secured the first position, closely pursued by Agra (Uttar Pradesh) and Thane (Maharashtra). The second category, covering cities with populations ranging from 3 to 10 lakh, witnessed Amravati in Maharashtra clinching the top rank, with Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh and Guntur in Andhra Pradesh following it.
‘Swachh Vayu Survekshan’ ranks cities based on the execution of activities approved under the city action plan and air quality in 131 cities covered under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). The NCAP stands as a national-level strategy, aiming for a 20 to 30 per cent reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations by 2024, with a reference base year of 2017. The Centre has set a new objective of achieving a 40 per cent reduction in particulate matter concentrations in cities covered under NCAP by 2026. The assessment process relies on the submission of self-assessment reports along with supporting documents by urban local bodies.
These reports and documents undergo scrutiny by the respective air quality monitoring committee (AQMC), chaired by the Principal Secretary of the Environment Ministry. Subsequently, the CPCB conducts further evaluation and ranking based on the assessment framework outlined in the ministry’s guidelines.
