Home  /  Daily Current Affairs  /  15-03-2021 / Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)

Posted on March 15, 2021 by admin1  189

In News

The Central government’s Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and its Adjoining Areas has been shut down within five months of its constitution.

About

Background

  • The Centre dissolved it after five months as the ordinance lapsed after failing to become an act.
  • The erstwhile Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, or EPCA had been dissolved to make way for the Commission.

Need

  • The air pollution is indeed a major challenge; it has health, economic and political implications; and the problem of multiplicity of bodies was a key reason why it could not be tackled effectively.

Significance

  • Statutory Body: It is a statutory body that regulates the process by coordinating between the Central Government and the states concerned.
  • So far, the matter was overseen by the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority
  • Holistic Approach:The commission will have the power to coordinate with relevant state and central governments on the multi-sector plan including industry, power plants, agriculture, transport, residential and construction.
  • More teeth: The new commission will reportedly have more powers — in its constitution and scope as well in terms of punitive provisions.

Issues

  • The Ordinance route was criticised, that is against the democratic setup. States and other stakeholders were not contacted.
  • Lack of a time-bound commitment to clean the air.
  • Sceptic about the working of the body
  • Over centralisation of the Central government.

Way ahead

  • Outlines a time-bound commitment to achieving the set standards;
  • Ensures adequate personnel and funds for pollution control bodies
  • Stricter monitoring systems.
  • Strong Political will and support is required.

Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)

  • Formed by an ordinance, “Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance 2020”, in October 2020.
  • The Commission will be a statutory authority.It will supersede bodies such as the central and state pollution control boards of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, UP and Rajasthan.
  • Composition: The new 18-member Commission brings together the Centre, states, and other stakeholders on one collaborative platform.
    • Chaired by a government official of the rank of Secretary or Chief Secretary. The chairperson will hold the post for three years or until s/he attains the age of 70 years.
    • It will also have five ex officio members who are either Chief Secretaries, or Secretaries in charge of the department dealing with environment protection in the States of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
    • Three full time technical members.
  • Powers & Jurisdiction: It will have the powers to issue directions to these state governments on issues pertaining to air pollution.
    • Exclusive jurisdiction over the NCR, including areas in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, in matters of air pollution, and will be working along with CPCB and ISRO, apart from the respective state governments.
    • The Commission will have the power to impose a fine of up to Rs 1 crore and imprisonment of up to 5 years in case its directions are contravened.

Source- Outlook

 
Previous article Sangay volcano: Ecuador
Next article Facts in News

Other News of the Day

                       Facts in News AEG12 Mosquito Protein According to scientists at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), a mosquito protein, called AEG12, strongly inhibits the family of viruses that cause yellow fever, dengue, West Nile, and Zika, and also weakly inhibits coronaviruses. It is...
Read More

In News The UK launched the Turing scheme to enable UK students to study abroad after leaving the European Union’s flagship Erasmus scholarship programme. About Turing Scheme It is named after the celebrated English mathematician and codebreaker Alan Turing. The scheme will enable schools, colleges and universities in the UK to apply for government funding....
Read More

In News Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) has asked the Centre to respond to a plea challenging the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991. Background The plea challenged various provisions of the Act. Section 2, 3, 4 not only offend the right to pray, practice and propagate religion (Article 25), the right to manage,...
Read More

In News The Centre has reconstituted an advisory committee to prepare a plan for studying the mythical Saraswati river for the next two years, earlier the panel's term ended in 2019. Background The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) on March 10 issued a notification for “reconstitution of the Advisory Committee for the Multidisciplinary Study of...
Read More

In News The gregarious flowering of bamboo inside the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala poses a potential threat to wildlife in the Nilgiri biosphere, a major tiger and elephant habitat. About Bamboo Flowering Thorny bamboo (Bamboosa Bambos) is a monocarpic (flowering only once) plant. It belongs to the Poaceae family (grass family) and its flowering cycle...
Read More

In News The Centre will allow residents to fill columns in the National Population Register (NPR) forms on their own through online mode. Key Points The demographic and other particulars of each family and individual are to be collected/ updated during the updation exercise of NPR. No documents or biometrics would be collected during the...
Read More