Let’s make ‘Clean Air for all’ a participative mission: Union Minister Bhupender Yadav
“It’s time to
make ‘Clean Air For All’ a participative mission. The air quality improvement
efforts have shown positive trends in achievement of better air quality in
cities across the country. But if we wish to achieve what we aspire, ‘Jan
Bhagidari’ or participative governance holds the key.” This was stated by Union
Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav in
Chennai today during the inauguration of Sensitization cum Review Workshop –
National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) and XV-FC Million Plus Cities Challenge Fund
(XV-FC MPCCF) of Southern region comprising Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Telangana, Kerala, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, Pondicherry,
Daman and Diu and Dadar and Nagar Haveli.
Union Minister
of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey,
Minister for Environment, Government of Tamil Nadu Siva V Meyyanathan,
Secretary of Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, Leena Nandan,
Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Environment, Climate Change and
Forest, Government of Tamil Nadu Supriya Sahu, Additional Secretary, Ministry
of Environment Forest and Climate Change, Naresh Pal Gangwar participated in
the inaugural ceremony of the 2 day regional workshop organised by the
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Speaking on the occasion Minister Bhupender Yadav
appreciated the state mentioning that Chennai, Madurai and Trichy, the 3
million plus cities' air quality is within the National Ambient Air Quality
Standards. He also praised the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board for the
initiative of E- Commute program, under which all the officials of the board
commute to office every Wednesday through non fossil fuel driven vehicles.
In another
revolutionary step, he asserted that India leapfrogged to BS-VI standard and
the adoption of its norms for fuel and vehicles is one of the landmark policy
decisions towards combating air pollution.
“Under NCAP, 132 non-attainment cities have been
identified across the country based on the Air Quality data from
2014-2018. The list is a heterogeneous mix of cities of all sizes and
types and in southern India we have 13 such cities from Andhra Pradesh and 4
each from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Telangana”, he added.
Bhupender Yadav recalled the Prime Minister’s commitment
to ensure clean air to all people by improving the air quality in around 100
cities through holistic approach.
The Minister appealed to
the young population to become active agents in the mission to improve air
quality by adopting sustainable lifestyles, appropriate behaviours and
attitudes and become change agents of the society. He expressed confidence that
with the coordination, collaboration, participation and sustained efforts of
all stakeholders, the objectives of NCAP in addressing the issue of air
pollution in a comprehensive manner will be achiev