AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB) Chairman A.K. Parida said that the government would soon launch a ‘Clean Air Andhra Pradesh’ (CAAP) programme which is aimed at reducing air pollution in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada cities and 11 towns during the next five years.
The target is to bring down the air pollution from PM (Particulate Matter) level-10 i.e. annual average of 70-80 Micrograms Per Cubic Meter (MPCM), to less than 60 MPCM by 2025-26 with a total financial outlay of ₹639 crore, a major portion (₹506 crore) of which would be spent in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada on infrastructure like Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Systems, Mr. Parida stated.
Delivering the key-note address in a virtual conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-AP on the theme ‘Environment, Health & Safety: Driving Industrial Growth through Sustainable Best Practices’ on Thursday, Mr. Parida said Andhra University (AU) had been roped in to support the implementation of the action plans in Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Rajahmundry, Kakinada and Eluru towns. IIT-Tirupati would extend a similar support for curbing the air pollution in Vijayawada, Guntur, Ongole, Nellore and Tirupati while the National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL) at Tirupati would do the same in Chittoor, Anantapur, Kadapa and Kurnool.
Guide institutions
Mr. Parida said AU, IIT-Tirupati and NARL would guide the urban local bodies in identifying hotspots and carrying capacity studies. Funds available under different government schemes in the urban sectors would be dovetailed with the resources of the municipal corporations and municipalities.
He offered full support to the industries in complying with the pollution control norms and exhorted them to contribute to the success of CAAP, while calling upon potential investors to explore A.P., saying that its 974-km coastline was an opportunity which should not be missed.
Sri City Private Limited MD Ravindra Sannareddy, Pradeep Dhobale, chairman (Green Entrepreneurship Council) at CII-Green Business Centre, JSW Group senior V-P (Health & Safety) Paresh Thakkar, CII-AP vice-chairman Neeraj Sarda, CII-AP CSR & Environment Panel convener D.V.S. Narayana Raju and co-convener V. Venkateswara Rao were present.
