Comprehensive Clean Air Action Plan for the City of Patna
6. Recommendations, Implementation Strategy, and Target Setting Air-pollution management needs a collaborative approach from all concerned departments across Patna. Various measures suggested in the study and existing policies must be implemented for effective reduction of the city’s pollution levels. The formation of a project management and audit unit is also vital in ensuring the time-bound implementation of policies and control measures (CMs). Appropriate indicators to measure the effective implementation of the CMs and progress of the implementation strategy need to be devised. Based on the techno-economic assessment of the shortlisted CMs for the city of Patna, the following policies are recommended: 1. Patna should introduce green public transport (EVs/CNG): As of now, diesel auto rickshaws and minibuses are the only public transportation modes available in Patna. These modes of travel are highly unreliable25 as they are run by private players. Even though the Patna government plans to establish a metro rail service, the city still needs a functional bus transportation system that incorporates CNG/EV buses. Old twostroke auto rickshaws should be phased out and replaced with electric auto rickshaws. Such measures will help reduce tailpipe exhaust to a major extent. 2. Vehicle fitness certificates and PUC certificates should be made mandatory for fuel refilling: Tailpipe emission from poorly maintained vehicles is much higher than that from vehicles that are well-maintained and serviced on a regular basis. By introducing policies like “No PUC, No Fuel”, vehicle owners will be more inclined to get their vehicle serviced. 3. Trucks (diesel) and buses (diesel) plying in Patna must be retrofitted with diesel particulate filters (DPF). This will cut down tailpipe emission loads by around 60% to 80%. 4. Mandate citywide cap on coal and diesel (industrial) use, and revise/reduce the cap every four years: Industrial pollution is one of the major contributors to air pollution in Patna. The city must set a cap on coal and diesel usage for industrial use. This will encourage industry owners to adopt clean fuels (CNG/electric). A review/reduction of the cap every five years will help reduce industrial pollution to a greater extent. 5. Open dumping of solid waste should be penalised and the municipality should not collect waste if it has not been segregated at the household level. PMC should ensure 100% door–to-door collection of municipal solid waste. PMC should also develop a mechanism to penalise people who dump their solid waste in open sites. These steps will ensure that waste is collected and treated properly. PMC also needs to develop measures and campaigns to encourage segregation of waste. 6. Financial incentives (as reduced electricity unit cost) should be provided for houses with grid-connected rooftop photovoltaic systems (RTPV): Patna’s residents should be encouraged and rewarded for setting up grid-connected RTPV. Unit price of electricity
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Schedule of private run buses are not regulated. 54
