CHENNAI: Air pollution is one of the biggest killers in India. As per a recent modelling study published in the British Medical Journal, 2.18 million deaths per year in India were attributable to outdoor air pollution. Recognising its seriousness, the Union government in 2019 launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to combat air pollution in 131 non-attainment cities. The initial target was to reduce PM10 and PM2.5 (ultra-fine particulate matter) by 20-30% by 2024. The target was later revised to 40% reduction in particulate matter concentration by 2026.
Climate Trends, a Delhi-based think tank, analysed the progress by the individual non-attainment cities in the first five-year cycle. The study shows mixed results. For 49 cities, PM2.5 data was available for all five years. Of them, 27 cities recorded improvement in PM2.5 levels from 2019 to 2023. Similarly, for PM10, data across five years was available for 46 cities. Twenty-four of those cities saw an improvement in their PM10 levels.
Among all the cities, Varanasi achieved a significant reduction in PM2.5 and PM10 levels. Additionally, Agra and Jodhpur saw significantly lower PM2.5 levels. Talcher saw a considerable PM10 reduction. However, challenges persist, with certain cities experiencing increases in pollution concentrations.
The study examined the annual concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 in non-attainment cities from the Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS) data.
In terms of reduction, Varanasi exhibited the most significant decrease in PM2.5 and PM10 levels. It showed a 72% reduction in PM2.5 (from 96 ug/m3 to 26.9 ug/m3) and a 69% reduction in PM10 (from 202.5 ug/m3 to 62.4 ug/m3), ahead of its 2026 targets of a 40% reduction for both pollutants. Agra was next with 53% reduction in PM2.5, (from 73 ug/m3 to 33.7 ug/m3), followed by Jodhpur with 50% decrease (from 81.8 ug/m3 to 40.6 ug/m3).As for PM10, Talcher in Odisha, showed a reduction of 39% followed by Kalaburagi cutting it by 32%.
Other cities that registered more than 40% reduction in PM2.5 levels (as compared to 2019) included Jodhpur (50%), Kanpur (50%), Meerut (42%) and Lucknow (41%). With respect to PM10 levels, apart from Varanasi and Talcher, no other city has met the 40% reduction target yet. Conversely, the cities experiencing the greatest increase in PM2.5 from 2019 to 2023 include Navi Mumbai (46%), Ujjain (46%) and Mumbai (38%). Over the five years, Navi Mumbai’s PM2.5 went up from 38.8 ug/m3 to 56.9 ug/m3. Ujjain’s PM2.5 increased from 43.7 ug/m3 to 64 ug/m3, and Mumbai’s levels went up from 35.8 ug/m3 to 49.5 ug/m3. Similarly, for PM10, Durgapur, Thane, and Mumbai showed an increase of 53%, 46% and 36% respectively.
However, in 2023, Delhi recorded the highest PM2.5 levels of 102 µg/m3. And Patna had the highest PM10 levels. The assessment shows also throws up distinct patterns, illuminating the environmental dynamics within and beyond the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). Notably, 18 of the top 20 cities with the highest PM2.5 levels in 2023 are clustered in the IGP, underscoring the region’s vulnerability to heightened particulate matter concentrations. Similarly, for PM10, 14 of the top 20 cities in 2023 are in the IGP.
Aarti Khosla, Director, Climate Trends, said: “Although NCAP has made noteworthy progress, challenges exist, with some urban areas facing an uptick in pollution concentrations. As cities add new air quality monitoring stations, strengthened monitoring will give a better picture of the problem and allow for better mitigation measures. These must feed into the next phase of the NCAP.”
How capital cities are performing?
Climate Trends has analysed air quality data in State capitals including Patna, Delhi, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Bhopal, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai. Delhi, equipped with the highest number of government air quality monitoring stations (37) among Indian cities, witnessed a modest 5.9% decline in PM2.5 levels from 2019 to 2023. Reductions in PM2.5 levels were observed in other cities like Bengaluru (2%), Hyderabad (7%), Kolkata (16.9%), Patna (25.2%), Chennai (33.4%) and Lucknow (41.2%). Lucknow exhibited a consistent year-on-year decline. Conversely, Mumbai experienced an increase of 38% in PM2.5 levels, coinciding with a notable expansion in active monitoring stations, from 9 in 2019 to 22 in 2023.
Chennai used its funds fully
While Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin has recognised the issue of air pollution and making enhanced budgetary allocation for increasing the number of continuous ambient air quality systems, the government is also one of the states to have fully utilised the funds allocated under NCAP. For instance, Chennai was allocated `367 crore in five years and the urban local body spent `367.51 crore as of December 21, 2023.