This story is from September 22, 2018

Raipur, Korba lack action plan to tackle air pollution in Chhattisgarh

Raipur, Korba lack action plan to tackle air pollution in Chhattisgarh
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RAIPUR: Central Pollution Control Board has found that there was an urgent need to step up efforts to combat air pollution in three cities of Raipur, Bhilai and Korba of Chhattisgarh under the national clean air programme (NCAP). Among them two cities do not even have any action plan in place to tackle air pollution, an RTI reply has revealed.
A Right to Information has highlighted that three cities including Bhilai, Korba and Raipur were identified as Non-attainment cities by Central Pollution Control Board in 2016.
Two out of three cities still do not have any action plan in place to tackle air pollution, reveals the RTI reply.
Though the action plan was submitted by Bhilai but was returned by CPCB directing the state to revise and resubmit the same.
The RTI was filed by Greenpeace India and the reply of which was shared with TOI which says none of the Non-attainment cities were ready with implementable clean air action plan.
Sunil Dahiya, senior campaigner, Greenpeace India said “It is important for a state like Chhattisgarh to take air pollution seriously due to presence of polluting industries and huge population being exposed to it. Not having implementable action plans ready raises grave concerns towards the government’s preparedness to mitigate air pollution crisis and fight the health emergency the state as well as neighbours in all directions face due to hazardous air pollution emissions and levels.”
Records from 2017 suggest that the action plan which were submitted by various cities till then were merely responses to CPCB directions sent out to state control boards in July 2016. They were found not satisfactory and needed more scientific/systematic approach to come-up with time bound pollution reduction targets for real air quality improvements in respective states.
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About the Author
Rashmi Drolia

Rashmi is a Special Correspondent with The Times of India in Chhattisgarh. She covers Politics, Left Wing Extremism, Crime and Human Rights among other areas of news value.

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