Swachh Vayu Survekshan Award 2024

1. Recent Event: The Swachh Vayu Survekshan Award 2024 was presented by the Union Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change and the Chief Minister of Rajasthan on the occasion of the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies (Swachh Vayu Diwas) at Jaipur.
2. International Day of Clean Air: Celebrated on 7th September to raise awareness and promote actions to improve air quality. It was established by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2019.

What is the Swachh Vayu Survekshan Award 2024?

1. Purpose: The Swachh Vayu Survekshan Award recognizes the best-performing cities in the National Clean Air Campaign (NCAP) based on their air quality management and implementation of city action plans.
2. Categories and Winners:
   1. Category-1 (Population over 10 Lakhs): Surat, Jabalpur, and Agra.
   2. Category-2 (Population between 3-10 Lakhs): Firozabad, Amravati, and Jhansi.
   3. Category-3 (Population under 3 Lakhs): Raebareli, Nalgonda, and Nalagarh.
3. Awards: Municipal Commissioners of the winning cities received cash prizes, trophies, and certificates.

About Swachh Vayu Survekshan (SVS)

1. Initiative: Launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to rank cities based on air quality and implementation of activities under the city action plans of the NCAP.
2. Scope: Evaluates 131 non-attainment cities—those failing to meet National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM10 or NO2 over a five-year period.

3. Criteria for Assessment:

   1. Control of biomass burning
   2. Municipal solid waste burning
   3. Road dust management
   4. Dust from construction and demolition waste
   5. Vehicular emissions
   6. Industrial emissions
   7. Public awareness
   8. Improvement in PM10 concentration

National Clean Air Campaign (NCAP)

1. Objective: To systematically tackle air pollution through stakeholder engagement and actionable plans.
2. Coverage: 131 cities with specific action plans.
3. Target: Aim to reduce PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations by at least 20% over the next five years (baseline year: 2017).
4. Monitoring: The PRANA portal, launched by MoEFCC, tracks the implementation of NCAP, monitors action plans, and shares best practices among cities.

Government Initiatives for Clean Air

1. Vehicle Scrap Policy: Encourages the scrapping of old and polluting vehicles to reduce vehicular emissions.
2. Waste to Wealth Campaign: Focuses on converting waste materials into valuable resources, reducing pollution.
3. "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" Program: Promotes tree planting to improve air quality and provide environmental benefits.
4. Mission LiFE: Aims to promote sustainable lifestyle practices for a healthier environment.
5. Ideas4LiFE Campaign: Seeks innovative ideas and community participation to foster environmentally friendly practices.

Conclusion

The Swachh Vayu Survekshan Award 2024 shows the government's commitment to improving air quality through the evaluation and recognition of city-level efforts in managing air pollution. By celebrating top-performing cities and promoting effective air quality management practices, this initiative aims to drive further progress in reducing air pollution across the country. The establishment of uniform criteria and national targets through the NCAP, along with supportive government policies and programs, provides a comprehensive framework for addressing air quality challenges. Ensuring continued stakeholder engagement and leveraging innovative solutions will be crucial for achieving long-term improvements in air quality and public health.

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