-Newzmirror Bureau

According to the Center for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy (CSTEP), municipal corporations in the state of Punjab are having difficulty understanding the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) or coordinating with different departments within their municipal organisations to address air pollution. The CSTEP has discovered that many municipal corporations across Amritsar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, and Bhatinda are requesting CSTEP assistance to better comprehend the dynamic of air pollution and the NCAP’s requirements and approaches. In January 2019, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) announced the NCAP, which will lower PM2.5 pollution by 20-30% by 2024 compared to 2017.

  Indian Clean Air Summit

CAPS at CSTEP organised India Clean Air Summit 2022 (ICAS 2022) in Bengaluru on Thursday to call for an integrated approach to air pollution and climate change, highlighting the similarities and identifying key benefits of policymaking that considers the two issues together. Scientists, policymakers, technologists, and affected communities collaborated on four days to discuss solutions to air pollution.

An institute of repute has been roped in for tripartite agreement between the state pollution control board, municipal corporation, and a college to address pollution in Punjab. The municipal corporations are in need of assistance in terms of understanding the requirements and methods of the NCAP, as they are unable to comprehend the requirements. Dr Pratima Singh, Head of CAPS, agrees.

According to Singh, CSTEP aims to provide Punjab with long-term, effective management strategies for these polluted sectors. Working in silos isn’t the solution for these civic institutions, she said. We all must work together, she said, referring to the institute of repute identified by the Central Pollution Control Board under NCAP as a way to assist municipalities build their capacity. In addition, all other institutions and think tanks working in these cities must come together and help these municipalities understand the difficulties associated with air pollution, according to Dr Singh.