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CAQM planning to launch own air quality rankings for NCR and Punjab cities
The Union Environment ministry already releases its Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan rankings based on efforts undertaken to reduce air pollution
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The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is planning to release its own air quality rankings for cities in NCR and Punjab – similar to the Union Environment Ministry’s Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan rankings, awarding those cities faring the best in terms of pollution reduction and adherence to their local action plans, officials said.
CAQM member secretary Tarun Pithode said they were working on such an index, by calculating a weighted average based on progress in terms of air pollution efforts so far.
“We have been thinking since we have all these action plans for NCR states and cities in place, so why not make an index and we are still in the process of creating one such index using weighted averages. Through this, we aim to find out and share which state is doing well in which component and to award them,” said Pithode at an event on air pollution in the national Capital on Tuesday.
Pithode later told HT the index will look at reduction in particulate matter and the action taken by the state and cities on different sources of pollution. “It will be a holistic index, factoring in where each state or city is doing well and where it is not. This will include progress based on targets the states have set themselves,” he said, adding the goal is to incentivise progress.
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He added before instituting such awards, the Commission was equally determined to penalise states and cities. “This year, we have already given notices to several officers, including commissioners in Gurugram and Ghaziabad. We have asked them questions like why should they not be prosecuted for failing to act against pollution in their area and only when they have assured action is when we have given them additional time.”
The Union Environment ministry already releases its Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan rankings – for the 130 National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) cities, based on efforts undertaken to reduce air pollution.
In this year’s rankings, released on September 7, Lucknow topped the list of NCAP cities with a population over 10 lakh – having achieved a 46.4% reduction in PM 10 levels till 2025-26 – in relation to the base year of 2017-18. Rourkela was ranked number one in the 3-10 lakh population category, while Kalinga Nagar was ranked number one in the under three lakh population category.
The rankings are awarded to all cities and wards under NCAP, based on the Swachh Vayu Survekshan Framework released in 2022-23 and focuses on measures taken to reduce road dust, solid waste management, vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, C&D waste management, other emissions (DG sets and commercial establishments) along with Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities undertaken.
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