HYDERABAD: Even as several cities in India recorded improvements in air quality under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), Nalgonda in Telangana has emerged as one of the worst performers, witnessing a steep deterioration in air quality over the past seven years.
According to data accessed by TNIE from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Nalgonda’s PM10 concentration rose from 59 µg/m³ (micrograms per cubic metre) in 2017–18 to 78 µg/m³ in 2024–25, marking a 32.2% increase — the third steepest decline in air quality among 130 Indian cities monitored under NCAP.
While 103 cities showed improvement and 25 achieved more than 40% reduction in PM10 levels, Nalgonda went in the opposite direction, joining a list of worst-performing cities topped by Aurangabad, whose PM10 levels rose from 75 µg/m³ to 100 µg/m³ (a 33.3% increase) and Visakhapatnam, which saw a 32.9% rise (76 µg/m³ to 101 µg/m³). Hyderabad, in contrast, saw PM10 concentrations fall by 26.4% during the same period, from 110 µg/m³ in 2017–18 to 81 µg/m³ in 2024–25.
Officials and environmentalists attribute Nalgonda’s poor showing to increasing vehicular exhaust and road dust, and partly also to industrial emissions and cement manufacturing units, all of which have increased with urban expansion and highway development projects in the district.
“Construction and demolition (C&D) activity, open waste burning, road dust, several small and medium-scale industries operating around the town, combined with growing vehicular traffic, have led to a steady increase in particulate matter,” Venkaiah, environmental engineer at the Nalgonda regional office of the Telangana Pollution Control Board, told TNIE.
“Concretisation is another reason,” said Donthi Narasimha Reddy, an environmentalist. Due to an increase in concretisation and urban expansion, air circulation has reduced, leading to increasing pollution,” he added.
“Rice mills are also one of the major contributors to the rise in air pollution in Nalgonda city,” said Purshottam Reddy, another environmentalist.
The MoEFCC’s report shows that Telangana received Rs 737.8 crore under NCAP and the 15th Finance Commission’s performance-linked grants, of which Rs 443.9 crore has been utilised for air quality improvement across the state.
Rise in pollution-related health issues
However, environmentalists say that Nalgonda’s failure to control pollution highlights gaps in local-level enforcement and monitoring.
Under NCAP, cities are required to prepare Clean Air Action Plans (CAAPs) focusing on reducing pollution from sources such as soil and road dust, vehicles, waste burning, construction and industrial activities. “However, implementation depends heavily on municipal bodies and local industries adhering to the guidelines,” added Narasimha Reddy.
Though the ministry stated that no conclusive data directly links deaths to air pollution, medical professionals in Nalgonda have observed an increase in respiratory and cardiovascular ailments in recent years. “We are seeing more cases of chronic bronchitis and asthma, especially among children and the elderly,” said Dr Shailaja Rao, a pulmonologist at a local government hospital.
Experts emphasise that Nalgonda needs stricter enforcement of emission norms, better road dust management and monitoring of industrial stacks to reverse the trend. Regular street cleaning, expansion of green cover, and improved waste management can help Nalgonda improve its air quality.
