Air quality continues to worsen all over the country

Since the launch of the National Clean air Programme (NCAP) in 2019, a number of strategies have been taken at the national level, both for regional and urban areas, to reduce air pollution.

- Pritha Mishra

But all the initiative seems to have gone in vain as air quality continues to worsen. This year NCAP has completed four years but no such remarkable outcome has been witnessed from this initiative; rather most of the cities have continued to break the safety line fixed by the Central Pollution Control Board. The initial goal of the NCAP was to lower the concentration of the major air pollutants (PM10 and PM2.5) in 112 cities across the nation by 20–30% in 2024 (relative to base levels in 2017). The government did, however, announce a new goal in September 2022 - a 40% reduction in particulate matter concentration by 2026. Over ₹6897.06 crore have been distributed to 131 cities since the programme’s commencement for the purpose of managing air pollution. According to data, several of the most polluting cities in 2019 had a slight improvement in their pollution levels, while the majority of the least polluted cities saw an increase.