The State Government is working on a clean air action plan. As per an air quality study, six cities of Odisha among about 102 cities in India do not conform to the National Ambient Quality Standards (NAAQS). The cities of Odisha are Angul, Baleswar, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela and Talcher.
At a high-level meeting here, Chief Secretary AP Padhi directed the Collectors to devise city specific action strategies keeping in view the local pollution level and steps already initiated. Padhi further directed to intensify the enforcement activities for curtailing pollution generated by the major polluters.
It was decided in the meeting that the Forests and Environment Department would work as nodal department for implementation of the State Clean Air Action Plan. The IIT, Bhubaneswar would be taken as technological partner in implementation of the action plan.
Development Commissioner Asit Kumar Tripathy directed the concerned departments to segregate the suggestions into short-term, long-term and medium-term action agenda and prepare specific strategies for achieving national standards of air quality.
Replying to media query after the meeting, Member, Pollution Control Board, Debidatta Biswal said that the blue print of the action plan was prepared under the joint efforts of the Center for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, the State Forest and Environment Department and the State Pollution Control Board.
The suggestive findings were shared with respective departments and agencies.
Discussions in the meeting showed that the main sources of polluting matters like PM10 and PM 2.5 are mainly coming from the dust, transport, burnings in residential area, construction and demolition materials.
DG sets, brick kilns, industry and different types of waste. It was decided to set up daily air quality pubic information system based on national air quality index and align the action strategies accordingly.