Correct Answer : Indore
Indore, Amravati and Parwanoo have the cleanest air in India while Madurai, Jammu and Kohima have the worst, according to the Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2023 (Clean Air Survey) report released in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh on Thursday by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav.
The survey was conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board.
According to the report, in cities with over one million population, Indore secured the first rank followed by Agra and Thane. Madurai, Howah and Jamshedpur ranked 46, 45 and 44, respectively. Bhopal stood fifth while Delhi took the ninth spot.
Speaking on the occasion, Yadav said, “This year (2023), the 4th International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies (Swachh Vayu Diwas 2023) is to create stronger partnerships, increase investment, and share responsibility to overcome air pollution, with the global theme “Together for Clean Air.”
In the second category, with a population between 300,000 to one million, Amravati secured the first rank followed by Moradabad and Guntur. Jammu, Guwahati and Jalandhar ranked 38, 37 and 36, respectively.
Similarly, for the third category, with a population of less than 300,000, Parwanoo in Himachal Pradesh secured the first rank followed by Kala Amb and Angul, while Kohima was ranked last - 39, the report added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the intent and plan to improve the air quality in more than 100 cities through a holistic approach.
Following the PM’s announcement, the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF&CC) has been implementing a National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) as a national-level strategy outlining the actions for reducing the levels of air pollution at city and regional scales in India since 2019.
Under the programme, as many as 131 cities have been identified for the implementation of city-specific action plans to achieve improvement in air quality.
Yadav said that the NCAP, the government has also launched “PRANA”– a portal for monitoring the implementation of NCAP. The best practices adopted by cities are shared on the PRANA portal for adopting these practices by other cities, he said.
On the occasion, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged ‘Mission Life’. Madhya Pradesh is working to implement all these concepts on the ground.”
“Indore has developed a habit of coming first in all competitions. I congratulate the cities that have received awards here. There is love for nature in the soil of India”..
Source : Hindustan Times
