Hyderabad: Achieving a 20-30 percent reduction in PM10 levels, Hyderabad has been recognised in the Swachh Vayu Survekshan (Clean Air Survey) Awards. This progress places the city among the 16 cities to see a 20-30 percent reduction in PM10 levels.
In the National Clean Air City Awards, presented by the Union Environment Ministry during the Swachh Vayu Survekshan-2024, Nalgonda has emerged as the leading city for its air quality efforts. This recognition was part of a national workshop celebrating the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.
Surat has secured the top position among Indian cities for air quality improvements, followed by Jabalpur and Agra, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
According to CPCB data, 95 out of the 131 cities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) have shown significant progress in air quality, with 21 cities achieving over 40 percent reduction in PM10 pollution compared to 2017-18 levels.
What is Swachh Vayu Survekshan?
Swachh Vayu Survekshan is an initiative by the environment ministry to rank cities based on the implementation of activities approved under the city action plan and air quality in cities covered under NCAP. These cities were awarded for significant improvements in air quality through various best practices to reduce air pollution.
Key activities included paving roads, promoting mechanical sweeping, bioremediation of legacy waste, solid waste management, converting reclaimed land from dump sites into green spaces, greenbelt development, intelligent traffic management systems, and Miyawaki afforestation.
A Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) assessment released in July found that road dust mitigation has been the primary focus of NCAP, which was launched in 2019 as the first effort to set clean air targets for 131 polluted cities and reduce particulate pollution nationally.
(With inputs of IANS)
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