Commission for Air Quality Management
Also called: CAQM · Topic: Geographical Issues: Pollution, Urban Waste, Slums and Land Degradation · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) is a statutory body, meaning a law created it. It was set up by an Act in 2021 for the National Capital Region and nearby areas, and it replaced the earlier EPCA. It covers Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. This matters because air pollution crosses state borders, so no single city or state can fix it alone. The CAQM coordinates action across these states and issues directions, such as the stages of GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan).
Example
When Delhi's AQI enters the Severe band in winter, the CAQM can order stricter GRAP stages. These can include bans on construction, diesel generators and trucks entering Delhi. It also directs action against stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana.
Don't confuse with
- Central Pollution Control Board: this is a national body, created under the Water Act 1974, that monitors pollution across all of India. The CAQM deals only with the air of the Delhi region.
Related concepts
- National Ambient Air Quality Standards
- National Air Quality Index
- Non-attainment city
- National Clean Air Programme
- Graded Response Action Plan