Introduction 

Urbanization in India is more rapid around  the major cities in India. Increase in industrial activities, population both  endemic and floating and vehicular population etc. have led to  a number of environmental problems, one of them being air pollution. Various contaminants continuously enter the atmosphere through natural and man-made processes and  these contaminants interact with the environment to cause disease, toxicity, environmental decay and are labeled as pollutant. Air Pollutants means any solid, liquid or gaseous substance (including noise) present in the atmosphere  in such concentration as may be or tend to be injurious to human beings or other living creatures or plants or property or environment. Environment: includes water, air and land and the interrelationship which exists among and between water, air and land, and human beings, other living creatures, plants,  micro-organisms and properties. Air pollution is basically the presence of air pollutants in the atmosphere. The air has a relative constant composition of gases and is utilized by  most of the living organisms in respiration to liberate chemical energy for their survival. This composition determines its quality and is being changed in the recent past due to emission of large amount of un-natural materials in the atmosphere by industries and automobiles. This changed quality became a great threat to survival of life, properties, materials and ecosystem as  a whole. In order to arrest the deterioration in air quality, Govt. of India has enacted Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act in 1981.  The responsibility has been further emphasized under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. It is necessary to assess the present and anticipated air pollution through continuous air quality survey/monitoring programs. Therefore, Central Pollution Control Board had started National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (NAAQM) Network during 1984 - 85 at national level. The programme was later renamed as National Air Monitoring Programme. An inventory of air pollutants is a necessary first step towards control of air pollution. Air pollutants can be natural or may  be the result of various anthropogenic activities like industrial emissions. Further the air pollutants can be primary or secondary depending upon their formation mechanism. Primary pollutants are directly emitted from the source and secondary pollutants are formed in the atmosphere. Meteorological factors play a critical role in ambient concentrations of air pollutants. Even though the total discharge of air pollutants into the atmosphere may remain constant, the ambient concentrations of air pollutants may vary depending upon the meteorological conditions. Keeping all these factors in mind, an attempt is made to address the problem of air pollution in seventeen cities in India identified by Honorable Supreme Court as polluted cities. These cities are Agra, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Kanpur, Faridabad, Jodhpur, Patna, Pune, Solapur, Varanasi, Jharia, and Mumbai. The action plan being implemented in these seventeen cities for controlling air pollution is given. Also the action plan proposed for controlling air pollution is detailed.  

 1.1 Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981 

Government of India enacted the Air (Prevention and Control  of Pollution) Act 1981 to arrest the deterioration in the  air quality. The act prescribes various functions for the Central Pollution Control Board at the apex level and State Pollution Control Board at  the state level. The main  functions of the Central Pollution Control Board are as follows: 

• To advice the Central Government on any matter concerning the improvement of the quality of the air and the prevention, control and abatement of air pollution. 

• To plan and cause to be executed a nation-wide programme for the prevention, control and abatement of air pollution. 

• To provide technical assistance and guidance to the State Pollution Control Board. 

• To carry out and sponsor investigations and research related to air pollution prevention, control and abatement of air pollution. 

• To collect, compile and publish technical and statistical data related to air pollution; and 

• To lay down standards for the quality of air and emission quantities. The main functions of the State Pollution Control Board are as follows: 

• To plan a comprehensive programme for prevention, control or abatement of air pollution and to secure the execution thereof; 

• To advise the State Government on any matter concerning prevention, control and abatement of air pollution. 

• To collect and disseminate information related to air pollution. 

• To collaborate with Central Pollution Control Board in programme related to prevention, control and abatement of air pollution; and 

• To inspect air pollution control areas, assess quality of air and to take steps for prevention, control and abatement of air pollution in such areas.     

1.2 National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) 

The ambient air quality objectives/standards are pre-requisite for developing management programme for effective management of ambient air quality and to reduce the damaging effects of air pollution.  The objectives of air quality standards are: - 

• 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 monitoring programme; and The Central Pollution Control Board had adopted first Ambient Air Quality 

Standards on November 11, 1982 as per section 16 (2) (h) of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. The air quality standards have been revised by the Central Pollution Control Board on April 11, 1994 and  were notified in Gazette of India, Extra-ordinary Part-II Section 3, sub section (ii), dated May 20, 1994.  The revised National Ambient Air Quality Standards are depicted in Annexure-I (Table A1.1). These    standards are based on the land use and other factors of the area.  The guidelines for declaring sensitive areas as recommended by peer/core group of C.P.C.B. are as follows: Sensitive areas – sensitive area may include the following: 

1) 10 kms all around the periphery of health resorts so notified by State Pollution Control Boards in consultation with department of public health of the concerned state. 

2) 10 kms all around the periphery of biosphere reserves, sanctities and national parks, so notified by Ministry of Environment and Forest or concerned states. 

3) 5 kms all around the periphery of an archeological monument declared to be of national importance or otherwise so notified A.S.I. in consultation with State Pollution Control Boards. 

4) Areas where some delicate or sensitive  to air pollution crops/important to the agriculture/horticulture of  that area are grown so notified by State Pollution Control Boards in consultation with department of agriculture/horticulture of concerned state.  

5) 5 kms around the periphery of centers of tourism and/or pilgrim due to their religious, historical, scenic or other attractions, so notified by department of tourism of the concerned state with State Pollution Control Boards. 

 2.0Air Quality Monitoring  

Ambient air quality monitoring is required to determine the existing quality of air, evaluation of the effectiveness of control programme  and to identify areas in need of restoration and their prioritization. National Air Quality Monitoring Programme is described in this chapter alongwith details on pollutants measured and their frequency.  

2.1 National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (N.A.M.P.)  

Central Pollution Control Board initiated National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (NAAQM) programme in the year 1984 with 7 stations at Agra and Anpara. Subsequently the programme was renamed as National Air Monitoring Programme (N.A.M.P.). The number of monitoring stations under N.A.M.P. has increased, steadily, to 308 operating stations by 2006 covering 115 cities/towns in 25 States and 4 Union Territories of the country.