Panel suggests improving 2009 Air Quality standards

With several Indian cities - particularly national capital Delhi - far from meeting even the current air quality standards, the Centre is mulling whether it can consider a revision of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) of 2009, recommended by an expert panel report last month.

ET gathers that an expert panel report submitted last month to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) suggested a downward revision of the 2009 air quality standards to reduce 'safe limits' for key air pollutants, in a phase-wise progressive manner.

ET understands that the panel - while not advocating a stringent WHO level range - has still proposed a progressive reduction plan, to be implemented over a period of five to 20 years. Possibilities under examination include downward revision of PM 2.5 annual national standard from the current 40 micrograms per cubic meter to 35 and lesser over 5-15 year periods in a stage-wise manner. A similar trajectory is likely for PM 10 and other pollutants as well.

The Centre, however, is yet to take a decision on the panel recommendations and is likely to call for detailed deliberations to draw up possible roadmaps for a revision of standards, official sources told ET on condition of anonymity. "A downward revision of air quality standards is, of course, very desirable but we must also ensure it is achievable as well. When we are at such high AQI in Delhi-NCR and other cities currently, it is a tall order to even reach the safe limit prescribed in 2009. Accordingly, a phase-wise progression roadmap keeping in mind ground factors, has to be developed. We will be doing a complete evaluation and look at all aspects," a senior official told ET.

While the 350-page expert report looks at standards for all 12 air pollutants identified in 2009 NAAQS, key focus is on the Particulate Matter (PM) 10 and 2.5, the latter wrecking maximum health damage. The 2009 India NAAQS has termed annual average concentration of 60 micrograms per cubic meter and 40 micrograms per cubic meter as safe limits for PM10 and PM2.5, respectively. These are seen as far too lenient and out of tune with the revised and more stringent 2021 standards by the World Health Organisation (WHO) which prescribes annual average concentration of 15 micrograms per cubic meter and 5 micrograms per cubic meter as safe limits for PM10 and PM2.5, respectively.



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