BHUBANESWAR: With air pollution level rising alarmingly in some pockets of Odisha, the state government has given priority to clean air action plan to improve the environmental condition and reduce health hazards.
At a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary AP Padhi it was decided that Forest and Environment Department will work as nodal department for implementation of State Clean Air Action Plan. Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar will be the technological partner for the implementation of the action plan.
Chief Secretary directed district collectors to devise city-specific action strategies keeping in view the local pollution level and steps already initiated.
They were also asked to intensify enforcement activities for curtailing pollution generated by major polluters.
Replying to queries from media, Member of State Pollution Control Board Debidatta Biswal said blue print of the action plan was a joint effort of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, Forest and Environment Department and State Pollution Control Board.
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The findings were shared with respective departments and agencies at the meeting.
Discussions at the meeting showed that main sources of polluting matters like PM10 and PM 2.5 are mainly coming from the dust, transport, burning cooking fuels 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 public information system based on national air quality index and align the action strategies accordingly.
It may be pertinent to mention here that as per air quality study, there are about 102 cities in India where air quality does not confirm to National Ambient Quality Standards (NAAQS), including six cities of Odisha -- Angul, Balasore, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela and Talcher.
The permissible limit of annual average level of PM10 is 60 microgram per cubic meter and PM 2.5 level is 40 microgram per cubic meter. As per this matrix, these six cities have been regarded as non-attainment cities.