The Government of India has passed an ordinance to set up a new Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM). This will replace with immediate effect the Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority, or Epca, as well as other committees that have been created over the years to address the crisis.
What should we make of this? Is this the answer to the pleas of National Capital Region (NCR) citizens and an end to the winter airpocalypse?
CAQM’s creation is not a trivial change, and almost certainly represents a step-up from Epca. A new commission, with full-time members and dedicated staff, is likely to help address the problem of intermittent focus on air quality, provide a “consolidated and conjoint” approach, and possibly help improve capacity to address the problem. CAQM will have substantial powers and can override other agencies such as the Central Pollution Control Board, but notably also state government departments, if there is a conflict. This potentially makes it easier to harness the powers of government, to solve inter-agency coordination problems and set uniform standards and enforcement protocols. Significantly, CAQM will also have a convening role, backed by authority of a law. However, it is not clear how much further effective bureaucratic coordination alone gets us. There are several other impediments to achieving clean air, and the ordinance does little to overcome them. Read More
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