Clean air action plan for Ramgarh
In 2019, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) under the Government of India launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which proposes strategies to reduce air pollution in several cities in India. In Jharkhand, only Dhanbad, a non-attainment city, and Ranchi and Jamshedpur, million-plus cities, are under the purview of NCAP. However, considering the importance of mitigating air pollution in several cities in the state, the government has identified multiple cities, including Ramgarh, to generate evidence on air pollution. In this context, we prepared the Ramgarh Clean Air Action Plan to identify major polluting sources and prioritise measures to control air pollution. Further, the pollution landscape in the city was examined and data were collected through multiple interactions with policymakers. The deterioration of air quality in Ramgarh will negatively impact the environment and local economy. Implementation of the Ramgarh Clean Air Action Plan will be an important step in mitigating air pollution in the city and reducing its impact on public health. The government should implement the suggested measures to encourage the switch to clean energy sources and adoption of clean technologies. Since Ramgarh is highly industrialised and the industries are expected to bear the cost of pollution control equipment, the government expenditure for implementing the proposed measures will be low, and for sectors other than industries, the government expenditure may be less than INR 50 crores. Thus, successful implementation of the plan can lead to significant improvements in air quality and quality of life for Ramgarh residents.
