Environment ministry releases new tougher air quality norms

Fifteen years after they were first notified, the environment ministry yesterday, released new and tougher air quality norms to bring residential and industrial areas under the same standards.

The new norms, will however be used to measure air quality as the monitoring mechanism is not expected to be ready till about five to seven years. Additionally, studies for the identification of pollution loads of various industries are under way and would take some time for completion.

Releasing the revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards-2009, Jairam Ramesh environment minister said the norms had been brought to the most stringent levels of the EU. This would call for early introduction of clean fuels under Euro IV norms in cities that are not slated for upgrade fuel norms by 2010.

However, as per Ramesh's own acknowledgement, the enforcement of new norms would remain a challenge.

Under the notification standards for ozone, dangerous volatile organic compounds, benzene and benzo(a)pyrene as well as heavy metals arsenic and nickel found as impurities in transport fuels have been included.

The norms for the measured pollutants have been made more stringent and uniform across for both residential and industrial areas, on lines of norms of most countries.

Air pollution level is currently being measured in 120 cities across the country, but it will take time to frame standardised method to monitor pollution levels of some of the new pollutants on the list, according to Rajneesh Dube, joint secretary in the ministry.

According to Ramesh the proposed environment protection agency along with the Green Tribunal Bill and stricter penalties on 'polluters pay' principle would make for the enforcement of the relevant norms.

According to an analysis by the non-government group, Centre for Science and Environment in 80 per cent of the 120 cities, the value of at least one pollutant exceeds the annual average limit imposed under the new standards.