Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change organized 3rd International Day of Clean Air for blue skies as ‘Swachh Vayu Diwas (“Swachh Vayu Neel Gagan”)’ on September 7 to raise awareness and facilitate actions to improve air quality under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
About International Day of Clean Air for blue skies
- United Nations General Assembly has designated 7th September as the “International Day of Clean Air for blue skies” with an aim to raise awareness and to promote actions to improve air quality.
- This year, it raises awareness on the urgency of strengthening national action and regional collaboration to improve air quality, with the global theme of “The Air We Share”.
About National Clean Air Programme
- National Clean Air Programme is an initiative launched in January, 2019 .
- National Clean Air Programme aims at improving air quality by reducing Particulate Matter concentrations by 20-30% in 131 cities in the country.
- It includes 123 Non-Attainment Cities (NAC) which exceed the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for 5 consecutive years and 42 Million Plus Population Cities/Urban Agglomerations. 34 cities are common in both categories.
- 131 cities of the country have developed City Action Plans and Micro Action Plans to address various sources contributing to poor air quality such as vehicles, road dust, construction, industries, thermal power plants, burning of waste, Construction and Demolition Waste, etc.
- There has been an overall improvement in Particulate Matter concentration in 95 cities including 20 cities conforming to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards in the year 2021-22 compared to 2017.
- Reporting and monitoring of physical and financial progress of action plans is done through PRANA portal (Portal for Regulation of Air Pollution in Non-attainment Cities).
