Clean air practical goal, not environmental aspiration, says NGT’s Justice Shrivastava

National Green Tribunal Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava on Monday said clean air is not merely an environmental aspiration but a practical goal that can be achieved through dedicated efforts, proper planning and effective implementation at the ground level.

He was addressing the fifth ‘Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards’, organised by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change at the Paryavaran Bhavan here on the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies. “Development and environmental conservation are not at cross purposes but can go together while maintaining the quality of life for the citizens. It is the responsibility of each citizen to ensure that generations to come can live in a clean environment,”  Justice Shrivastava said.

“Clean air is not merely an environmental aspiration but a practical goal that can be achieved through dedicated efforts, proper planning and effective implementation at the ground level,” he added.

The Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan is an annual assessment of 130 cities covered under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), aimed at encouraging healthy competition among cities and promoting measures to improve air quality. Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow topped the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan Awards among cities with a population of more than 10 lakh, while Madhya Pradesh’s Indore and Jabalpur secured the second and third positions, respectively.

The assessment considers measures taken by cities on road dust, solid waste management, vehicular emissions, industrial pollution, construction and demolition waste management, other emissions (DG sets and commercial establishments), and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities. The awards were based on participation and ranking of all 130 cities in three categories -- those with a population below 3 lakh, between 3 lakh and 10 lakh, and above 10 lakh.

The process involved self-assessment by cities, approval by the State-level Monitoring Committee, evaluation by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), field verification by independent committees and selection of 10 best-performing cities.

Asserting that clean air was a fundamental need rather than a luxury, the NGT chairperson said the ultimate objective should be to ensure that children can play outdoors without fear of air pollution.