The report “World Air Quality Report 2023 – Region & City PM2.5 ranking” used most of the data from low-cost sensors (LCS) which are not used by countries for regulatory purposes. Further, the method of measurement and instruments used differ from country to country. The data from a variety of monitors and data sources may have a degree of error /uncertainty. Therefore, ranking of countries/cities for pollution levels may not be appropriate.

MoEF&CC conducts Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan – ranking of 131 cities covered under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) among three groups categorised based on population. Delhi ranked ‘9’ in the group of 47 cities having population more than 10 lakh for taking air quality improvement measures under NCAP.

Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) launched NCAP in January 2019, which is a long-term, time-bound national level strategy for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution. Under NCAP, it has been envisaged to achieve targets of 20 to 30% reduction in Particulate Matter (PM) concentrations by 2024 in 131 cities of 24 States/UTs with respect to base year 2017. Subsequently, the target has been revised to achieve up to 40% reduction or achieve National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in terms of PM concentrations by 2025-26. Cities are provided with funds to support implementation of City Action Plans for taking measures to improve air quality. All 131 cities/ULBs have prepared the City Action Plans under NCAP.

Under NCAP, an amount of Rs. 19,614.44 crores have been earmarked to 131 cities during the period FY 2019-20 till FY 2025-26 out of which 49 Million Plus Cities/Urban Agglomerations are funded under XVth Finance Commission air quality grant and remaining 82 cities are funded by MoEF&CC under Control of Pollution Scheme. So far, an amount of Rs. 11,211.13 crores were released to 131 cities to implement City Action Plans in their respective cities.

As per the Synthesis Report of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperature reaching 1.1°C above 1850-1900 level in the decade of 2011-2020. The Working Group II in its contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC, dealing with Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, has reported that worldwide climate change is increasingly affecting marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems and ecosystem services, water and food security, settlements and infrastructure, health and well-being, and economies and culture, especially through compound stresses and events.

India’s Third National Communication submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2023 has reported that India is experiencing full range of climate change impacts, ranging from floods and droughts to heatwaves and glacier melt. The impacts of climate change are observed in sectors, biodiversity and forests; agriculture; water resources; coastal and marine ecosystems; human health; gender; urban and infrastructure.

India’s climate actions across various sectors are embedded in various programme and schemes. The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) provides the overarching framework for all climate actions and comprises missions in specific areas of solar energy, enhanced energy efficiency, sustainable habitat, water, sustaining Himalayan ecosystems, Green India, sustainable agriculture, human health and strategic knowledge for climate change. All these Missions are institutionalized and implemented by their respective Nodal Ministries/Departments, Further, thirty-four States/Union Territories (UTs) have prepared their State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with NAPCC taking into account the State specific issues relating to climate change. The responsibility of the implementation of the SAPCCs rest with the respective States.

The sanctioned cost of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project is Rs. 1,08,000 crore. Till now, 290.64 km of pier foundation, 267.48 km of pier construction, 150.97 km of Girder Casting and 119 km of Girder launching have been completed. The anticipated timeline and final cost can only be ascertained after award of all contract packages.

MAHSR project passes through high growth rate States of Gujarat and Maharashtra connecting business centres of Mumbai, Surat, Vadodara and Ahmedabad.  The project Economic Internal Rate of Return (EIRR) as per feasibility study conducted by Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was estimated to be 11.8%.

This information was given by the Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronic & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.