Look Beyond Dust

Reinvent National Clean Air Programme to focus on fine particulate matter and trans-boundary pollution

- ANUMITA ROYCHOWDHURY

ONLY A year is left for the polluted cities of India to clean up their act. In January 2019, the Union environment ministry launched a comprehensive policy framework, the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), to improve air quality in 131 cities and urban agglomerations that consistently reported high pollution levels. The aim was to lower the concentration of particulate matter in these cities by up to 40 per cent by 2025-26, from the 2019 level. To enable implementation, NCAP promised performance-linked funding-a first-of-itskind strategy to curb air pollution. A massive ₹19,711 crore was earmarked for the programme. By 2023, as stated in the ministry's Annual Report 2023-24, all the 131 cities showed improvement in the levels of PM10 (particulate matter with a diameter of 10 microns or less). But have these cities managed to reduce air pollution effectively, which can cause a host of illnesses from lung cancer to cardiovascular diseases to low birth weight and lead to premature death? There are questions around this, and let me tell you why.

Of the ₹19,711 crore earmarked under NCAP, ₹16,539 crore is for 49 cities and urban agglomerations, each housing more than 1 million people; the remaining ₹3,172 crore has been earmarked for 82 cities with smaller populations, as per the ministry's Annual Report 2023-24. However, an analysis of this data shows poor utilisation of funds an indicator of ineffective implementation. Till December 2023, the 49 million-plus cities received ₹8,357.51 crore, but spent only 70 per cent-₹5,835.03 crore― of it. The 82 smaller cities received ₹1,292.5 crore, and spent only 37.5 per cent, or ₹480.92 crore, of it. This indicates the scale and speed of action to tackle air pollution are yet to catch up with the target.