New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava on Monday said clean air is not merely an environmental aspiration but a practical goal that can be achieved through dedicated efforts, proper planning and effective implementation at the ground level.
He was addressing the fifth ‘Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards’, organised by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change at the Paryavaran Bhavan here on the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.
“Development and environmental conservation are not at cross purposes but can go together while maintaining the quality of life for the citizens. It is the responsibility of each citizen to ensure that generations to come can live in a clean environment,” Justice Shrivastava said.
“Clean air is not merely an environmental aspiration but a practical goal that can be achieved through dedicated efforts, proper planning and effective implementation at the ground level,” he added.
The Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan is an annual assessment of 130 cities covered under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), aimed at encouraging healthy competition among cities and promoting measures to improve air quality.
Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow topped the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards among cities with a population of more than 10 lakh, while Madhya Pradesh’s Indore and Jabalpur secured the second and third positions, respectively.
The assessment considers measures taken by cities on road dust, solid waste management, vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, construction and demolition waste management, other emissions (DG sets and commercial establishments), and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities.
The awards were based on participation and ranking of all 130 cities in three categories — those with a population below 3 lakh, between 3 lakh and 10 lakh, and above 10 lakh.
The process involved self-assessment by cities, approval by the State-level Monitoring Committee, evaluation by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), field verification by independent committees and selection of 10 best-performing cities.
Asserting that clean air was a fundamental need rather than a luxury, the NGT chairperson said the ultimate objective should be to ensure that children can play outdoors without fear of air pollution, elderly people can go for morning walks safely and workers can carry out their duties without facing pollution-related health risks.
Referring to the Madhu Suktam of the Rigveda, he said the country’s ancient wisdom had emphasised harmony between human life and environmental forces, particularly the purity of air and water.
Justice Shrivastava said air pollution poses a complex challenge as it does not respect political or administrative boundaries.
He appreciated the National Clean Air Programme’s (NCAP) official portal, PRANA (Portal for Regulation of Air-Pollution in Non-Attainment Cities) and Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan as important initiatives for improving and monitoring air quality.
“While technology and real-time monitoring play an important role (in curbing air pollution), behavioural change and greater environmental awareness among citizens are equally necessary,” he said.
“If every citizen is aware of his responsibility towards the environment and his actions are aligned with that responsibility, then nothing more is required. The environment will take care of itself,” Justice Shrivastava said.
Rourkela, Firozabad and Guntur secured the top three positions in the category of cities with a population between 3 lakh and 10 lakh, while Kalinga Nagar, Angul and Talcher were ranked first, second and third, among cities with a population of less than three lakh. PTI MNR RHL
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