Title: “India’s policy landscape for combating air pollution”
Abstract
This presentation highlights India’s multifaceted strategies to combat air pollution, emphasizing critical policies and initiatives. Key milestones
include the Supreme Court’s 1998 mandate for all public transport in Delhi to switch to Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by April 2001, which
significantly reduced vehicular emissions. Legislative frameworks like the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and National Ambient
Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) empower regulatory enforcement of pollution control measures across sectors. Prominent initiatives include the
Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) for managing air quality emergencies and the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), a comprehensive,
long-term strategy to enhance air quality nationally. Additionally, the National Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) provides real-time air
quality data to inform public awareness and policymaking. Despite these efforts, gaps remain, particularly in data quality control and assurance
(DQC/DQA). This presentation further evaluates the efficacy of current measures, identifies limitations, and suggests solutions to address these
challenges, underscoring India’s commitment to tackling air pollution and its associated health impacts.
About the Speaker
Dr. Mukesh Khare is a Professor Emeritus of Environmental Engineering in the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Delhi. He is the Fellow of Institution of Engineers India and Fellow of Wessex Institute of Great Britain. He is a Chartered Engineer. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in the Faculty of Engineering from Newcastle University, UK and has managed a range of Environmental projects throughout his professional career. With a specialization in air quality modelling, Prof. Khare’s experience has covered research and development studies, teaching, consulting,
modelling, and editorial activities. In addition, Prof. Khare has authored more than 200 research publications, primarily for peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. Besides this, Prof. Khare has authored more than 5 books and contributed several chapters for various publishing houses in urban air quality monitoring, modelling and management. Recently in 2024, Prof. Khare with his co-authors has written a textbook on ‘Air Pollution: Science, Engineering and Management fundamentals’ published by CRC Press, Taylor and Francis. Prof. Khare has been serving as a member in High Level Task Force (HLTF) at Prime Minister Office. Prof. Khare has also been working as Member, Environmental Appraisal Committees (Infrastructure-I and Non-Coal Mining), Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change, Government of India. Prof. Khare has also been in various Public Sector Undertakings as Director in their respective Boards of Director.
