Context:
Recently, the union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change presented the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan award 2024 on the occasion of International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.
Relevance:
GS II: Government Policies and Interventions
Swachh Vayu Survekshan Award:
- Initiative Origin: Developed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), this initiative ranks cities based on their adherence to the approved action plans for air quality management in 130 cities under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).
- Guideline Release: In September 2022, MoEF&CC introduced the ‘Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan- Ranking of Cities’ guidelines under NCAP.
- Purpose: The program aims to rank 130 Indian cities by their effectiveness in implementing City Action Plans, with the goal of reducing air pollution by up to 40% by 2025-26.
- Key Objectives:
- Raise awareness across all societal segments.
- Educate the public on health risks associated with air quality.
- Compare air quality across different urban areas.
- Fulfill NCAP’s objective of ensuring “Clean air for all”.
- Assessment Platform: Cities are evaluated through submissions on the PRANA portal, which tracks progress in the NCAP framework.
2024 Awards:
The Swachh Vayu Survekshan Awards 2024 acknowledged top performers among NCAP cities, categorized by population size:
- Category 1 (Over 10 Lakhs): Surat, Jabalpur, and Agra.
- Category 2 (3-10 Lakhs): Firozabad, Amravati, and Jhansi.
- Category 3 (Under 3 Lakhs): Raebareli, Nalgonda, and Nalagarh.
