The Surat Clean Air Action Plan (SCAP) and the Source Apportionment Report launched by Hon. Member Parliament Shri C R Patil
Implementation of city and air-shed level strategies to achieve 36% reduction in Particulate Matter (PM2.5) & (PM10) concentrations by year 2025 and 60% reduction in PM2.5 by 2030 when compared to 2019.
SURAT, 24 DECEMBER 2021: Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), in collaboration with World Resources Institute India (WRI India) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), and supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies and Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF), has been working to develop a Surat City specific clean air action plan.
The resulting Surat Clean Air Action Plan (SCAP) and the Source Apportionment Study report was formally released today at the Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium in Surat by the Hon. MP Mr. C R Patil in the presence of Hon. Municipal Commissioner SMC, Mr. Banchhanidhi Pani, Hon. Mayor Smt. Hemali Kalpeshkumar Boghawala and other Central and State Ministers.
The source apportionment study, prepared by TERI, identified air pollution sources in Surat, resulting in the development of a clean air action plan by WRI India that outlines mitigation actions aimed at reducing air pollution.
As per the Source Apportionment study of Surat city, the major sources contributing to particulate matter 10 (PM10) and particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) concentrations during the winter season are industry including power plants and brick kiln (37% in PM10 and 40% in PM2.5), dust (15% in PM10 and 7% in PM2.5), biomass usage in residences (14% in PM10 and 15% in PM2.5) and transport (13% in PM10 and 16% in PM2.5).
The Surat Clean Air Action Plan (SCAP) recommends cost-effective interventions to reduce emissions from identified air pollution sources. Some of the recommendations include promoting clean fuel in industries, monitoring and managing construction dust, promoting non-motorized transport, open municipal solid waste burning, development and conservation of green spaces along the corridors, and traffic junctions in the city to manage the road dust.
Hon. Commissioner of Surat Municipal Corporation, further added, "I am happy to share that Surat Clean Air Action Plan developed by WRI India is being launched today and will help Surat to improve its air quality."
The preparation of the Surat City Clean Air Action Plan (SCAP) saw the active involvement of different stakeholders who were consulted at each stage of the project. In all, 7 major stakeholder consultations were organized within Surat city which were attended by more than 1000 individual and firms.
Dr. Ajay Nagpure, Head, Air Quality Program, WRI India shed light on the report, stating, "While the source apportionment indicates the different sectoral emissions, the Surat city-specific clean air action plan has the detailed counter-actions on how to mitigate and control these emissions."
Surat City has been ranked as the second cleanest city in India two years in row since 2021 and is aiming to top Swachh Survekshan 2022. However, the city has been identified as one of the 132 non-attainment cities in India and thus requires robust planning and collaborative actions in air quality management. The SCAP project not only highlights the need for technical interventions but also suggests institutional strengthening of the SMC and GPCB in their mitigation actions road map.
ADDITIONAL QUOTES
"Regional air quality planning and implementation are essential for the effective control of pollution in Surat. This analysis shows that city can achieve air quality standards with stringent and consistent efforts." -Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General, TERI
"We at WRI India thank SMC, GPCB and TERI for their collaboration, and Bloomberg Philanthropies and Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation for their constant support, in the preparation of the SCAP initiative. We are happy to continue our support with SMC and GPCB to implement the mitigation actions recommended in the Clean Air Action Plan" - Shri. Madhav Pai, Executive Director, WRI India Ross Center.
"Surat has the opportunity to reduce air pollution, and in so doing also improve quality of life and public health for its citizens. Based on evidence on the causes of air pollution in the city as well as consultations with a variety of stakeholders, this Action Plan shows pathways to cleaner air for Surat." - Ms. Priya Shankar, India Director, Environment and Climate Program, Bloomberg Philanthropies
"Indian cities are at the frontlines of a growing health and climate crisis. The Surat Clean Air Action Plan is a decisive step forward in systematically combatting air pollution. Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation is pleased to contribute to the development of this plan, which will lead to more informed decision making, narrow mitigation action points and deliver interventions for sustained progress on cleaner, healthier air for Surat." - Dr. Anshu Bhardwaj, Chief Executive Officer, Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation
About Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC)
Surat Municipal Corporation is a local self-government which has come into being under the Bombay Provincial Municipal Act, 1949. It carries out all the obligatory functions and discretionary functions entrusted by the BPMC Act,1949 with the following mission: To make Surat a dynamic, vibrant, beautiful, self-reliant and sustainable city with all basic amenities to provide a better quality of life.
About World Resources Institute, India (WRI India)
WRI India provides objective information and practical proposals to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable development. Our work focuses on building sustainable and liveable cities and working towards a low carbon economy. Through research, analysis, and recommendations, WRI India puts ideas into action to build transformative solutions to protect the earth, promote livelihoods, and enhance human well-being. We are inspired by and associated with World Resources Institute (WRI) a global research organization. Explore our work on our websites: wri-india.org I wricitiesindia.org
Media contact:
Nitya Kaushik | WRI India
nitya.kaushik@wri.org
+91 9819902763
