Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM)

Why in news?

• The Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) revoked its ban on construction and demolition activities in the region.

About CAQM:

• The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is a statutory body formed under the Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas, Act 2021.
• The Commission basically aims at better coordination, research, identification, and resolution of problems related to air quality in NCR and adjoining areas.
  • Adjoining areas refer to areas in the neighbouring states of NCR namely, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Powers and functions of CAQM:

• It will have the powers to issue directions to these state governments on issues pertaining to air pollution.
• It will entertain complaints as it deems necessary for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of the air in the NCR and adjoining areas.
• It will also lay down parameters for control of air pollution.
• It will also be in charge of identifying violators, monitoring factories and industries and any other polluting unit in the region, and will have the powers to shut down such units.
• It will also have the powers to overrule directives issued by the state governments in the region that may be in violation of pollution norms.

About Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021:

• The act provides for the constitution of a Commission for better co-ordination, research, identification, and resolution of problems related to air quality in the National Capital Region (NCR) and adjoining areas (Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh)
• The act dissolves the Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority established in the NCR in 1998.

Need for such an Act:

• The monitoring and management of air quality in the Delhi-NCR region has been done in pieces by multiple bodies, including the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the State Pollution Control Boards, the state governments in the region, and the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) of the National Capital Region.
• They, in turn, are monitored by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change, and the Supreme Court which monitors air pollution as per the judgment in ‘M C Mehta vs Union of India’ case in 1988.
• The Act seeks to create an overarching body to consolidate all monitoring bodies, and to bring them on one platform so that air quality management can be carried out in a more comprehensive, efficient, and time-bound manner.
• The Centre also seeks to relieve the Supreme Court from having to constantly monitor pollution levels through various cases.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Consider the following statements regarding the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021:

1. The Act dissolves the Environment Pollution Prevention and Control Authority established in the NCR in 1998.

2. The Commission constituted under the Act can impose and collect environment compensation from farmers causing pollution by stubble burning

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer