Air Quality Management gets a new commission

The 'Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021' arrived in the Parliament.

Air Quality Management gets a new commission

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• The story: India's Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) will bring a new Bill - the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021 - in the monsoon session of Parliament. The goal is to tackle the air pollution problem in NCR with a firm hand.
• Points to note: The 'Commission for Air Quality Management ordinance' was first promulgated by the President in October, 2020 but the bill to replace the ordinance was not passed in the budget session of Parliament, and the commission ceased to operate in March, 2021.

1. Then, the MoEFCC brought a second ordinance in April 2021, with modifications due to the farmers’ protest. Farmers had raised concerns of stiff penalties and possible jail terms for stubble burning (as stated in the first ordinance).
2. The government has decriminalised the act of stubble burning and withdrawn the clause for possible jail time. But environmental compensation fees are levied on those who are found to be engaged in stubble burning, including farmers.

• The Bill: This bill provides for the constitution of a Commission for better coordination, research, identification, and resolution of problems related to air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas. The entire region has suffered from horrible pollution problem for many years now, due to a complex mix of reasons.

1. 'Adjoining areas' are defined as areas in the states of Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh adjoining the NCR where any source of pollution may cause adverse impact on air quality in the NCR.
2. It also dissolves the Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority established in the NCR in 1998.
3. The Commission will be headed by a full-time chairperson who has been a Secretary to the Government of India, or a Chief Secretary to a State government. The chairperson will hold the post for three years or until s/he attains the age of 70 years. It will have members from several Ministries as well as representatives from the stakeholder States. It will have experts from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Civil Society.

• Functions: The commission's duties will include

Coordinating actions taken by concerned state governments (Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh).
Planning and executing plans to prevent and control air pollution in the NCR.
Providing a framework for identification of air pollutants.
Conducting research and development through networking with technical institutions.
Training and creating a special workforce to deal with issues related to air pollution.
Preparing various action plans such as increasing plantation and addressing stubble burning.

• Powers: The commission will enjoy powers like

To issue directions and entertain complaints as it deems necessary for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of the air in the NCR and adjoining areas.
Laying down parameters for control of air pollution (such as permissible levels of emissions and discharge of pollutants).
Be in charge of identifying violators, monitoring factories and industries and any other polluting unit in the region, and will have the powers to shut down such units.
Have the powers to overrule directives issued by the state governments in the region, that may be in violation of pollution norms.

• Summary: It is quite clear that India needs changes to tackle public issues like air pollution, need a democratic conceptualisation. There is a need for the massive augmentation of intra-city public transport, and to move industries, power plants and other users away from polluting fuels like coal to natural gas, electricity and renewable energy to ensure clean combustion. The government should undertake a thorough review of the various laws and institutions in order to look at their efficacy and utility; it must have detailed consultation with all relevant stakeholders, especially those outside Delhi, which includes farmers’ groups and small scale industries and the public at large.

 

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