{"id":32002,"date":"2024-03-04T11:23:58","date_gmt":"2024-03-04T11:23:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/?p=32002"},"modified":"2024-03-04T11:24:00","modified_gmt":"2024-03-04T11:24:00","slug":"national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes\/","title":{"rendered":"National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) &#8211; UPSC Environment Notes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has instituted national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), ensuring consistent air quality standards across the country.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was introduced nationwide in 2019 with the objective of reducing particulate matter levels by 20\u201330% in 132 cities by 2024.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Failure to consistently meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) over a five-year period categorizes a city as non-compliant.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d94847a667e\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69d94847a667e\"  \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes\/#NAAQ_STANDARD\" title=\"NAAQ STANDARD\">NAAQ STANDARD<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes\/#POLLUTANTS_COVERED\" title=\"POLLUTANTS COVERED\">POLLUTANTS COVERED<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes\/#NAAQS_%E2%80%93_MONITORING\" title=\"NAAQS &#8211; MONITORING\">NAAQS &#8211; MONITORING<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes\/#Recent_Scenario_%E2%80%93_NAAQS\" title=\"Recent Scenario &#8211; NAAQS\">Recent Scenario &#8211; NAAQS<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes\/#FAQs_%E2%80%93_National_Ambient_Air_Quality_Standards_NAAQS\" title=\"FAQs &#8211; National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)\">FAQs &#8211; National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes\/#1-What_is_NAAQS\" title=\"1-What is NAAQS?\">1-What is NAAQS?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes\/#2-What_empowers_the_CPCB_to_establish_air_quality_standards\" title=\"2-What empowers the CPCB to establish air quality standards?\">2-What empowers the CPCB to establish air quality standards?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes\/#3-When_were_the_prevailing_NAAQS_introduced_and_what_was_their_objective\" title=\"3-When were the prevailing NAAQS introduced, and what was their objective?\">3-When were the prevailing NAAQS introduced, and what was their objective?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes\/#4-What_are_Primary_Standards_under_NAAQS\" title=\"4-What are Primary Standards under NAAQS?\">4-What are Primary Standards under NAAQS?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes\/#5-What_are_Secondary_Standards_under_NAAQS\" title=\"5-What are Secondary Standards under NAAQS?\">5-What are Secondary Standards under NAAQS?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes\/#6-Which_pollutants_are_covered_under_NAAQS\" title=\"6-Which pollutants are covered under NAAQS?\">6-Which pollutants are covered under NAAQS?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes\/#7-What_is_the_National_Air_Monitoring_Programme_NAMP\" title=\"7-What is the National Air Monitoring Programme (NAMP)?\">7-What is the National Air Monitoring Programme (NAMP)?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes\/#In_case_you_still_have_your_doubts_contact_us_on_9811333901\" title=\"In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 9811333901.&nbsp;\">In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 9811333901.&nbsp;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/national-ambient-air-quality-standards-naaqs-upsc-environment-notes\/#Visit_our_YouTube_Channel_%E2%80%93_here\" title=\"Visit our YouTube Channel &#8211;&nbsp;here\">Visit our YouTube Channel &#8211;&nbsp;here<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"NAAQ_STANDARD\"><\/span><strong>NAAQ STANDARD<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act empowers the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to establish air quality standards.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Subsequently, in November 2009, the CPCB introduced the prevailing National Ambient Air Quality Standards.&nbsp;<\/li><li>The regulations set in 2009 standardized national air quality benchmarks and significantly reduced the permissible limits for various pollutants.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The standards are categorized into two types<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Primary Standards:<\/strong> These are designed to safeguard human health with an ample margin of safety, considering vulnerable groups such as young children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory conditions.<\/li><li><strong>Secondary Standards<\/strong>: Formulated to protect against any known or anticipated adverse effects of a pollutant on public welfare, property, traffic safety, economic values, and personal comfort and well-being.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"POLLUTANTS_COVERED\"><\/span><strong>POLLUTANTS COVERED<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The National Ambient Air Quality Standards encompass a range of pollutants, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Sulphur dioxide (SO2)<\/li><li>Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)<\/li><li>Particulate matter with a size less than 10 microns (PM10)<\/li><li>Particulate matter with a size less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5)<\/li><li>Ozone<\/li><li>Lead<\/li><li>Carbon monoxide (CO)<\/li><li>Arsenic<\/li><li>Nickel<\/li><li>Benzene<\/li><li>Ammonia<\/li><li>Benzopyrene<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"NAAQS_%E2%80%93_MONITORING\"><\/span><strong>NAAQS &#8211; MONITORING<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The National Air Monitoring Programme (NAMP) is a comprehensive initiative led by the Central Pollution Control Board, aimed at monitoring the levels of crucial air pollutants, reporting violations, and conducting research on pollution trends.<\/li><li>NAMP actively monitors the levels of Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), and Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM \/ PM10) at 342 operational stations situated in 127 cities across India.<\/li><li>The program regularly publishes a list of cities that violate air quality standards, which can be accessed here.\u00a0<\/li><li>Additionally, on November 29, 2011, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) announced an expansion of monitoring efforts to include PM2.5 at selected locations in major cities.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Recent_Scenario_%E2%80%93_NAAQS\"><\/span><strong>Recent Scenario &#8211; NAAQS<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>In the recent scenario, it is estimated that India&#8217;s population-weighted mean annual ambient PM2.5 exposure in the reference year, 2015, was 55 g\/m3.\u00a0<\/li><li>Exposure levels vary significantly across the country, with the Delhi National Capital Region (Delhi NCR) experiencing the highest exposure.<\/li><li>Throughout India, annual PM2.5 exposure surpasses recommended levels in 58%, 67%, 83%, 97%, and 99% of districts, respectively.\u00a0<\/li><li>All districts in Northwest India and the Gangetic Plain exhibit yearly exposure levels higher than the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).<\/li><li>While 82% and 50% of districts in Central and West India exceed the NAAQS, only 22%, 19%, and 2% of districts in North, Northeast, and South India, respectively, surpass these standards.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"FAQs_%E2%80%93_National_Ambient_Air_Quality_Standards_NAAQS\"><\/span><strong>FAQs &#8211; National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1-What_is_NAAQS\"><\/span>1-What is NAAQS?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A: NAAQS stands for National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which are uniform standards set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to ensure consistent air quality across the nation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2-What_empowers_the_CPCB_to_establish_air_quality_standards\"><\/span>2-What empowers the CPCB to establish air quality standards?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A: The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act empowers the CPCB to establish air quality standards in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3-When_were_the_prevailing_NAAQS_introduced_and_what_was_their_objective\"><\/span>3-When were the prevailing NAAQS introduced, and what was their objective?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A: In November 2009, the CPCB introduced the prevailing National Ambient Air Quality Standards with the goal of standardizing air quality benchmarks and reducing permissible limits for various pollutants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4-What_are_Primary_Standards_under_NAAQS\"><\/span>4-What are Primary Standards under NAAQS?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A: Primary Standards are designed to protect human health with a sufficient margin of safety, considering vulnerable groups such as young children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5-What_are_Secondary_Standards_under_NAAQS\"><\/span>5-What are Secondary Standards under NAAQS?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A: Secondary Standards are formulated to protect against any known or anticipated adverse effects of pollutants on public welfare, property, traffic safety, economic values, and personal comfort and well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6-Which_pollutants_are_covered_under_NAAQS\"><\/span>6-Which pollutants are covered under NAAQS?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A: NAAQS covers a range of pollutants, including Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), Ozone, Lead, Carbon monoxide (CO), Arsenic, Nickel, Benzene, Ammonia, and Benzopyrene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7-What_is_the_National_Air_Monitoring_Programme_NAMP\"><\/span>7-What is the National Air Monitoring Programme (NAMP)?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A: NAMP is a nationwide initiative led by the CPCB to monitor levels of key air pollutants, report violations, and conduct research on pollution trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc\/upsc-essay?utm_source=Blog&amp;utm_medium=Banner&amp;utm_campaign=Essay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/UPSC-Essay-Course-1280\u00d7300-1-3.svg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-42688\" width=\"781\" height=\"182\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_case_you_still_have_your_doubts_contact_us_on_9811333901\"><\/span><strong>In case you still have your doubts, contact us on 9811333901.<\/strong>&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For UPSC Prelims Resources,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/upsc-cse-prelims-resource-centre\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Daily Updates and Study Material:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Join our Telegram Channel &#8211;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/WithEdukemy4IAS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Edukemy for IAS<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>1. Learn through Videos &#8211;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3vOD8sU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/li><li>2. Be Exam Ready by Practicing Daily MCQs &#8211;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3Q9z2nF\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/li><li>3. Daily Newsletter &#8211; Get all your Current Affairs Covered &#8211;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3bE2y5J\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/li><li>4. Mains Answer Writing Practice &#8211;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bit.ly\/3mZuVxl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Visit_our_YouTube_Channel_%E2%80%93_here\"><\/span>Visit our YouTube Channel &#8211;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@ShabbirsEduKemyforIAS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has instituted national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS), ensuring consistent air quality standards across the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":32004,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[276],"tags":[2431,232,213,140],"class_list":["post-32002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ecology-environment-general-studies","tag-air-quality-standards","tag-upsc","tag-upsc-notes","tag-upsc_preparation_strategy"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32002","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32002"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32002\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32005,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32002\/revisions\/32005"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32004"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32002"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32002"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edukemy.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32002"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}