The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched in January 2019, aims to tackle the growing air pollution in 131 targeted cities across India. However, over the last five years, the NCAP has not achieved its desired impact.

A significant portion of the allocations has gone to cities with relatively lower pollution levels, and the program has primarily focused on addressing road dust rather than broader air pollution issues. Between 2019 and 2024, the NCAP allocated Rs 10,595 crore to various states for these 131 cities, of which Rs 6,922 crore (65.3 per cent) has been utilised.

Despite these efforts, in 114 cities, the five-year annual average of Particulate Matter 10 (PM10) still exceeds the safe limit of 60. Watch this video to know more about the programme.

Published on December 2, 2024