Govt forms expert panel to study ground-level ozone, health impact | Delhi News - The Times of India

New Delhi: Union environment ministry has informed NGT that it will constitute a four-member expert panel to study ground-level ozone pollution, mitigation strategies and associated health impacts. The ministry stated that the terms of reference have been finalised. The move follows NGT taking suo motu cognisance of a TOI report titled "Oh-zone! Why this prominent pollutant in Delhi air is becoming a cause for concern," published in April last year. TOI reported that in Aug, NGT directed the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF&CC) to frame terms of reference for a proposed expert committee to study the alarming rise in ground-level ozone concentration in the capital. In a report dated Dec 16, MoEF&CC stated it finalised the terms of reference in consultation with Central Pollution Control Board and a fresh report will be prepared by the panel. "In compliance with the aforesaid directions, the answering respondent, in consultation with the CPCB, has prepared the proposed ToR for the expert committee along with the suggested list of experts/institutions," it said. The report also mentioned that the panel will examine CPCB's latest ozone report dated Dec 20, which contains updated data on ozone concentrations and its precursors in Delhi. It will define the scope of the study and assess the tentative cost before submitting its report within two months. The panel is set to include Mukesh Sharma of IIT Kanpur, KV George from CSIR-NEERI, Dilip Ganguly from IIT Delhi and Vijay Soni from IMD. According to Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), unlike primary pollutants (emitted directly from sources), ozone is not emitted directly from any source. It forms through intricate chemical reactions involving nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon monoxide -- pollutants released by vehicles, power plants, factories and other combustion sources. In the presence of sunlight, these substances undergo a series of cyclic reactions that result in the formation of ozone near the ground. VOCs also have natural sources, such as vegetation, adding to the complexity, said CSE. In a report dated Jan 20, CPCB stated it analysed 178 monitoring stations across 10 cities, including 57 in Delhi-NCR, and found that the number of stations surpassing the safe standard of ozone levels increased in the summer of 2024 (April to July) compared to the corresponding period in 2023.