report: air quality

has only improved in 49 cities in FY21-22

NEW DELHI: Since the introduction of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), air quality has improved compared to the previous year in only 49 out of 131 cities in the financial year 2021-2022, according to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

Under agreements made between State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs), Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), and the Centre, just 38 of the 131 cities that were set yearly pollution reduction targets, managed to reach the targets for FY21-22, the research stated.

The NCAP covers 132 of the country’s most polluted or “non-attainment cities”. These are the cities whose air quality did not meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) from 2011 to 2015. Using 2017 as the pollution levels baseline, the NCAP seeks to bring 20-30 per cent reduction in pollution levels of PM2.5 and PM10 particles by 2024.

The Central Pollution Control Board, which oversees the programme, only considers levels of PM10 that are relatively larger and coarser particles while allocating funds. However, the smaller and more harmful PM2.5 particles aren’t monitored robustly in all cities, primarily because of the lack of equipment. An accompanying press release stated that “Almost all of these reports still lack public availability and no city action plan has been updated with new findings of the report as it was envisaged in the NCAP when it was launched in January 2019.”

PM Modi inaugurates Varanasi Tent City and flags off Ganga Vilas

LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Tent City in Varanasi and MV Ganga Vilas, the longest river cruise in the world. PM Modi inaugurated these projects via video conferencing. Apart from these, Modi also laid the foundation of inland waterways projects worth over `1,000 crore.

While speaking at the launch event, PM Modi said that launch of the world’s longest river cruise service will herald a new age of tourism in India. He added, “I want to tell passengers onboard river cruise liner MV Ganga Vilas that India has everything you can imagine. It also has a lot beyond your imagination. India can’t be defined in words. India can only be experienced from the heart. Because India has opened her heart for everyone, irrespective of region or religion, creed or country.”

MV Ganga Vilas will cover 3,200 km while passing through five states in India and parts of the neighbouring country, Bangladesh, over 51 days. The journey will begin from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, culminating in Dibrugarh, Assam. MV Ganga has 18 suites and can house 36 tourists.

WB: PM Modi flags off Vande

Bharat Express virtually

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Vande Bharat Express from Howrah to New Jalpaiguri virtually. The Vande Bharat Express has 16 coaches covering 564 km in 7 hours and 45 minutes. It will stop at three stations, namely, Barsoi, Malda, and Bolpur.

Transport minister inaugurates phase one of Zuari Bridge

Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Goverment of India, inaugurated phase 1 of the new Zuari Bridge in Goa. The project costs `2,530 crore and has a total length of 13.20 km. Under this phase, fourlane right-hand side corridors and eight-lane stayed cable bridge has been inaugurated on the river Zuari.

Assam re-merges four newly formed districts

After the Election Commission’s decision to begin the delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies on the basis of the 2001 Census, the Assam Cabinet decided to re-merge four newly formed districts with the existing ones. The Election Commission instructed the Chief Electoral Officer of Assam to issue a blanket prohibition on the creation of new administrative units.