Meghalya’s Byrnihat Most Polluted City in India: CERA

• It is a nonprofit think tank researching energy and air pollution. 
• It was founded & registered in Helsinki, Finland in 2019 & Staff across Asia and Europe.
• Goal : Tracking the impacts of air pollution by providing data-backed research products.

• Government has notified National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for 12 pollutants in 2009 to protect public health and environment from air pollution. 
• Set by: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) 
• Pollutants covered: Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), PM10, PM2.5, Ozone, Lead, Carbon monoxide (CO), Arsenic, Nickel, Benzene, Ammonia, and Benzopyrene. 
• Objectives of air quality standards: 
  • To indicate the levels of air quality necessary with an adequate margin of safety to protect the public health, vegetation and property 
  • To assist in establishing priorities for abatement and control of pollutant level 
  • To provide uniform yardstick for assessing air quality at national level 
  • To indicate the need and extent of the monitoring programme.

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) 

• The National Clean Air Programme was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in January 2019. 
• Aim: To achieve reductions up to 40% or achievement of National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter10 (PM 10) concentrations by 2025-26. 

Non-Attainment Cities: These are designated if they consistently fail to meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for fine particulate matter or nitrogen dioxide over a five-year period.

Particulate Matter 2.5 : 

• PM2.5, fine particulate matter of 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter therefore it can only be detected with the help of an electron microscope.
• It  is the most dangerous pollutant because it can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the blood system, causing cardiovascular and respiratory disease and cancers.
• NAAQS : PM2.5=40 µg/m3 (Ecologically sensitive area)-60 µg/m3 
• WHO Guidelines : 
  • The current guidelines state that annual average concentrations of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 µg/m3, 
  • while 24-hour average exposures should not exceed 15 µg/m3 more than 3 – 4 days per year.