New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) Over 10,000 citizens sent a petition and postcards to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Friday, demanding a speedy revision of India’s air quality standards, environmental group Greenpeace India said.
The postcards have been mounted on an eight-foot-high metallic tree installed outside the CPCB office here, evoking the multi-cultural symbolism of the Tree of Life, it said.
“Citizens, especially from vulnerable groups, including mothers, children, senior citizens, urban poor and other marginalised communities, are amplifying this message. These communities are facing the extreme impact of poor air quality and demanding their right to a healthy environment from the CPCB,” Greenpeace India said in a statement.
“Pollution is aggravating health complexities, particularly for women and children. It is also becoming a social and psychological issue and impacting women across the country. We need clean air for us, for our future generations,” said Bhavreen Kandhari from Warrior Moms, a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
In September last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) revised its air quality guidelines for the first time in 15 years.
The revised guidelines prescribe the annual PM2.5 average at 5 micrograms per cubic metre, bringing it down from the 2005 limits set at 10 micrograms per cubic metre. The PM10 annual average is now 15 micrograms per cubic metre as against 20 micrograms per cubic metre earlier.
“Greenpeace India believes our nation’s ambitious climate target must be supported by concrete action on the ground such as revision of air quality standards, improved infrastructure for public transport in a bid to phase out fossil fuels,” said Avinash Chanchal, campaign manager at Greenpeace India.
According to reports, India is likely to have new national ambient air quality standards this year.
The CPCB has already awarded the work of updating the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) to an IIT Kanpur-led team of experts, including scientists from the National Physical Laboratory, IIT Delhi, the AIIMS and the NEERI.
The country adopted its first NAAQS in 1982. It was then revised in 1994 and 2009, factoring in eight pollutants — PM2.5, PM10, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene, ammonia and ozone.
“The present NAAQS are insufficient and need immediate revision. All the non-attainment cities should also aspire to move to NAAQS in a time-bound manner and then progress towards meeting the WHO guidelines,” Chanchal said.
In a letter to the CPCB, Greenpeace India said the NAAQS should be periodically reviewed every five or 10 years and the process of revision should be based on scientific evidence.
According to a recent report of Swiss air quality technology company IQAir, 35 of the 50 most polluted cities in the world are in India. PTI GVS RC
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