However, he did not mention any action plan to meet these standards. Meanwhile, China has put in place a time-bound action plan to meet safe air quality standards by 2030. Beijing, too, plans to bring down its average PM 2.5 (fine, respirable pollution particles) levels to 60 micrograms per cubic metre from the current level of 89 microgram per cubic metre by 2017, according to a recent statement by Greenpeace India.

Javadekar said air quality in 244 cities, towns and industrial areas across the country is being monitored. "PM levels are exceeding the norms in majority of cities and towns with a fluctuating trend," he said. But annual averages of lead and sulphur dioxide (SO2) are within the NAAQS norms.

Replying to a question on what measures the government has taken on air pollution, Javadekar said, "the government has taken various policy and regulatory measures to contain air pollution which include supply of cleaner fuels, sale of unleaded petrol, use of gaseous fuel for public transport, PUC certificates for vehicles, stringent source specific emission standards and their compliance, use of beneficiated coal in thermal power plants, strengthening public transport, expansion of Metro, etc."