The issue of toxic air in Chhattisgarh's major urban centres has now reached the highest legislative forum, with a parliamentarian demanding urgent, science-backed interventions tailored for each city.
Parliamentary Spotlight on Chhattisgarh's Air Crisis
On Monday, Bharatiya Janata Party MP Brijmohan Agrawal brought the severe air pollution plaguing several Indian cities into sharp focus during a session in Parliament. He specifically highlighted the plight of three industrial hubs from his state: Bhilai, Korba, and Raipur. All three are officially classified as non-attainment cities (NACs), meaning they consistently fail to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.
Agrawal insisted that the national fight for cleaner air must evolve beyond broad, generic schemes. He argued for a shift towards precise, science-led and city-specific action plans. The MP emphasized that residents living in the industrial and urban belts of Chhattisgarh have a right to be at the heart of the country's public health dialogue.
A Rejection of One-Size-Fits-All Solutions
In his address, Agrawal pointed out that the worst affected by the hazardous air are children, the elderly, outdoor workers, and vulnerable communities. He called for special protection measures to be implemented for these groups in highly polluted zones. Central to his argument was a firm rejection of a uniform approach to tackling pollution.
"Each city needs a location-specific, science-based, data-driven strategy," he asserted. The MP pressed for models developed by premier institutions like the CSIR–NEERI (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research – National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) to be integrated into regulatory frameworks.
He strongly advocated for source apportionment studies – which identify and quantify the contribution of various pollution sources – to directly shape and inform city-level action plans. This is considered crucial for effectively targeting major local contributors like road dust and other direct emission sources.
Government's Response and NCAP's Reported Progress
Responding to the concerns raised, the Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Kirti Vardhan Singh, outlined the government's ongoing efforts under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). He stated that city-specific action plans, scientific studies, real-time monitoring, and measures to control road dust are already being implemented and are showing positive results.
The minister informed the House that the NCAP currently targets 122 non-attainment cities and 8 other million-plus cities, which include Bhilai, Korba, and Raipur. He provided data suggesting significant improvement: out of the 130 targeted cities, 103 have recorded a reduction in PM10 levels.
Furthermore, Singh stated that 64 cities have seen a drop of more than 20% in PM10, and 25 have achieved a reduction of over 40%. Most notably, he announced that a total of 22 cities have now met the NAQS standards, with their PM10 levels falling below the threshold of 60 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³).
The parliamentary exchange underscores the growing political urgency surrounding India's air quality crisis, balancing calls for hyper-local action with claims of broader national progress under existing schemes.
