Himachal Towns Win “Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2023 Award” for Air Quality Excellence

Shimla,September 7, 2023

Himachal Pradesh Celebrates National Recognition for Clean Air

The Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change, Government of India, has honored Himachal Pradesh’s Parwanoo and Kala Amb towns with the prestigious “Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2023 Award.” These towns secured the first and second ranks nationally in Category-3, which encompasses non-attainment towns with populations of fewer than 3 lakhs. The esteemed awards, accompanied by a cash prize of Rs. 37.50 lakhs and Rs. 25.00 lakhs, were presented during the Swachch Vayu Divas event on September 7, 2023, held at Kushabhau Thakre Hall, International Convention Centre in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

Anil Joshi (IFS), Member Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board, accepted the awards on behalf of the state. The accolades recognized the outstanding efforts of Parwanoo and Kala Amb in improving air quality and effectively enforcing pollution control and environmental laws.

Sanjay Gupta (IAS), Chairman of the State Board, expressed his delight and extended congratulations to the State Board and all stakeholders for their dedicated work in implementing various components of the Action Plan to enhance air quality.

Anil Joshi (IFS), Member Secretary, Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board, expressed pride in receiving the awards for the best-performing cities in the air quality improvement program. These awards signify the state’s commitment to addressing air pollution effectively.

Prabodh Saxena, IAS, Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh and Chairman of the State level Air Quality Monitoring Committee, commended the state, district-level committees led by Deputy Commissioners, and all stakeholder departments for their sustained efforts, which led to a significant reduction in PM10 concentration in the ambient environment. He pledged the state’s continued dedication to improving air quality for a sustainable environment.

The State Pollution Control Board is optimistic that all seven towns in the state will soon exit the categorization under NAC/T(s), but this requires continuous and persistent efforts from all stakeholder departments. The State Board also acknowledged the financial support provided by the Central Pollution Control Board and MoEF&CC GOI under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which facilitated various activities to mitigate air pollution in all NAC/T(s) of the State.

The Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in 2018 to address air quality issues in 131 Non-Attainment Cities/Towns across India. The program encompasses a range of actions to combat air pollution, including measures to control vehicular emissions, suppress road dust, mitigate air pollution from biomass burning, regulate construction and demolition activities, and manage industrial air pollution.