NITI Aayog has proposed a draft action plan titled “Breathe India” for combating air pollution in ten most polluted cities in the country, including Delhi, Kanpur and Varanasi.
The action plan draft states that 9 out of 10 people worldwide breathe polluted air, which causes almost seven million deaths a year.
The Action points under the plan include -
Increasing adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles.
Implementing strong measures to curb vehicular emissions.
Reducing emissions from the power sector.
Revising and Reforming standards and practises for Air pollution in Industries.
Implementing a National Emissions Trading system on the basis of Polluters Pay system.
Adopting cleaner construction practises.
Utilising crop residue to reduce air pollution.
Implementing an integrated waste management policy.
Tackling dust in urban agglomerations.
Tackling and mitigating forest fires to reduce the spread of Particulate Matter (PM).
Encouraging cleaner cooking practises for reducing indoor air pollution.
Increased awareness of ill effects of air pollution and inducing behavioural change to reduce emissions.
Developing National, Sectoral and City wise plans to reduce pollution.
Establishing an accurate and comprehensive Air Quality Monitoring System.
