The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), Govt of India, vide gazette notification, G.S.R826 (E), dated 16.11.2009 have notified the National Ambient Air Quality Standards by amending the Environment (Protection) Rules 1986.
The following major changes have been effected.
1. As against three- [(i) Industrial Area(ii) Residential, Rural & other areas(iii) Sensitive Area] areas,the new standards is applicable for only two areas viz.
Industrial , Residential , Rural, and other areas
Ecologically Sensitive Area (Notified by Central Government )
2. The Industrial area, Residential, Rural, and other areas have been clubbed, Ecologically Sensitive area to be notified by Central Government.
3. The new parameters included are particulate matter size less than 2.5 µm OR PM2.5 µg/M3 , Ozone, ammonia (NH3), Benzene , Benzo(a)pyrene(BaP) , Arsenic (As) and Nickel (Ni)
4. Ambient air quality data generated under National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme (NAMP) has been compared with revised national ambient air quality standards for the year 2010-11.
