Question raised in Rajya Sabha on Air Pollution in metropolitan cities, 30/11/2015
Question raised in Rajya Sabha on Air Pollution in metropolitan cities, 30/11/2015. The National Ambient Quality Standards (November 2009) comprises of 12 pollutants, namely, PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, O3, CO, NH3, Benzene, lead, Arsenic, Nickel, BaP (particulate phase). The ambient air quality is monitored in 254 cities, towns, and industrial areas of the country by the Central Pollution Control Board, concerned State Pollution Control Boards / Pollution Control Committees and NEERI for 3 to 8 pollutants. Different cities stand differently in ranking on the basis of individual pollutants in ambient air. A report was bought out by the World Health Organisation in 2014 ranking 13 cities of India among top 20 most polluted cities of world on the basis of levels of PM2.5 which is based on extrapolated and estimated values of PM2.5. The said ranking of cities is, therefore, not appropriate.