International Day of Clean Air for blue skies calls for increased international cooperation on air pollution at a global, regional and sub-regional level.
On first International Day of Clean Air For Blue Skies, the environment minister launched a brochure on Integrated Measures to Combat Air Pollution under the National Clean Air Programme.
The emphasis is on city specific plan in the identified 122 cities.
Union minister for Environment and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar has said increased pollution, transportation and dust have affected environmental and the blue sky.
The Minister said, the government is committed to reduce the pollution level in polluted cities.
He said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is determined to bring this change. Union Minister also said, air quality has improved in recent times.
Minister of State for Environment and Climate Change, Babul Supriyo said that public awareness and not fines are critical towards finding long term solution to Air Pollution.
In January last year, the Union Environment Ministry launched a National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to tackle the problem of air pollution in a comprehensive manner with a target to achieve 20 to 30 percent reduction in PM 10 and PM 2.5 concentrations by 2024 keeping 2017 as base year.
With extreme air pollution events on the rise, global efforts to reduce pollution and its effects will got a boost when, for the first time ever, the world marked the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies.
UN Chief António Guterres has expressed concern that 9 out of 10 people worldwide breathe unclean air. He said that air pollution is preventable. He has urged the world to together make Clean Air For All a reality.
The General Assembly of the United Nations on December 19, 2019, had adopted a resolution to observe the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies on September 7 every year starting from 2020.