Let’s Make ‘Clean Air For All’ a Participative Mission, says Union Minister Bhupender Yadav

"It's time to make 'Clean Air For All' a collaborative effort." Better air quality has been achieved in cities across the country as a result of air quality improvement efforts. But, if we want to achieve our goals, 'Jan Bhagidari,' or participatory governance, is the key."

This was stated by Union Minister for Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, in Chennai today during the inauguration of the Sensitization and Review Workshop – National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and XV-FC Million Plus Cities Challenge Fund (XV-FC MPCCF) of the Southern region, which includes Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala, Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Pondicherry, Daman and Diu and Dadar and Nagar Haveli.

Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Union Minister of State for Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, and Government of Tamil Nadu Minister for Environment Leena Nandan, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Forest, Government of Tamil Nadu, and Siva. V. Meyyanathan, Secretary of Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Supriya Sahu, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, and Naresh Pal Gangwar attended the opening ceremony of the two-day regional workshop hosted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Bhupender Yadav praised the state, noting that the air quality in Chennai, Madurai, and Trichy, three cities with populations in excess of three million, meets National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

He also praised the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board for its E- Commute program, under which all board officials commute to work every Wednesday using non-fossil fuel vehicles.

In another ground-breaking move, he claimed that India had jumped to the BS-VI standard and that the adoption of its fuel and vehicle standards was one of the pivotal policy decisions in combating air pollution.

"According to NCAP, 132 non-attainment cities were identified across the country based on Air Quality data from 2014 to 2018." "The list is a diverse mix of cities of all sizes and types, with 13 cities from Andhra Pradesh and four each from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana in southern India," he added.

Bhupender Yadav recalled the Prime Minister's commitment to providing clean air to all people by improving air quality in approximately 100 cities using a holistic approach.

The Minister urged the youth to become active agents in the mission to improve air quality by adopting sustainable lifestyles, appropriate behaviors and attitudes, and becoming social change agents. He expressed confidence that the objectives of NCAP in addressing the issue of air pollution in a comprehensive manner would be met with the coordination, collaboration, participation, and sustained efforts of all stakeholders.

(Source: PIB)