Cities Shift Perspectives on Air Pollution: Air Quality in 25 Cities, Including Varanasi and Lucknow, Improves by Up to 40%

Jagran Bureau, New Delhi. The mindset of cities, which previously seemed indifferent to the growing issue of air pollution, is undergoing a transformation. Urban planners and authorities are now not only strategizing to combat air pollution but are also taking tangible steps to enhance the quality of air in their regions.

Initiated in 2020, the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) aims to tackle air pollution in 130 major cities across India. Remarkably, 25 of these cities, including Varanasi, Lucknow, Kanpur, Agra, and Dehradun, have already met their pollution reduction targets ahead of the designated timeline. Other cities are also making significant progress towards achieving their goals.

Targeting a 40% Reduction in PM-10 Levels

As part of the NCAP’s objectives, these cities are required to achieve a 40% decrease in PM-10 levels by 2025-26. A report from the Ministry of Forest and Environment indicates that 64 additional cities have successfully reduced their PM-10 levels by up to 20% compared to the baseline year of 2017-18. Furthermore, air quality improvements have been recorded in 14 other cities.

However, certain cities such as Meerut and Rourkela have not witnessed any positive changes in air quality, despite the implementation of pollution control strategies.

Government Investment to Combat Pollution

The Ministry has revealed that a total allocation of ₹20,130 crore has been made to address air pollution levels in these 130 cities. So far, ₹13,237 crore has been disbursed to various cities. Additionally, collaborative efforts are underway with different ministries to eliminate factors contributing to air pollution, including initiatives to transition small industries to cleaner fuel sources and road repairs to minimize pollution generated from vehicular traffic.

According to the ministry’s report, all 130 cities engaged in the NCAP have developed their own air action plans, graded response action plans, and systems to address public complaints. Except for 54 cities, the remaining urban areas have begun implementing these plans, with visible results emerging.

In the coming months, a comprehensive implementation of these initiatives is scheduled across all participating cities. Senior officials from the ministry have noted that the impact of this pollution control campaign is becoming increasingly evident in major urban centers, thereby enhancing the monitoring of air quality levels.

Monitoring Air Quality Standards

Efforts to monitor air quality focus on various sources of pollution, including waste disposal, biomass burning, industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, road dust, and construction activities. The program aims to build capacity, enhance monitoring networks, and promote awareness regarding air quality issues.

Cities Achieving 40% or Greater Improvement in Air Quality (PM-10 Levels)

Cities Where No Improvement Was Observed (PM-10 Levels)