Most cities on path to achieve national clean air target; Varanasi leads

The government allocated Rs 9,631 crore to reduce the levels of particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or smaller by 40 per cent in 131 cities by 2026 from the 2017 levels

As the country commemorates the fifth anniversary of its flagship initiative, the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched on January 10, 2019, to improve air quality in some of the most polluted cities, the latest data shows among 49 cities with consistent particulate matter (PM) data over five years, 27 improved in PM2.5 levels.

Particles with a diameter of 2.5 microns (one micron is one-thousandth of a millimetre) or smaller are crucial in assessing air pollution due to their widespread presence and capacity to evade the body’s natural defences. These tiny particles can deeply penetrate the lungs, leading to diseases such as asthma, stroke, and lung cancer.

Measuring PM2.5 and PM10 helps in identifying and comprehending air-pollution sources.

The government has allocated Rs 9,631 crore to cut the levels of these deadly particles by 40 per cent in 131 cities by 2026 from what they were in 2017.

An analysis by Respirer Living Sciences and Climate Trends shows six cities — Varanasi, Agra, Kanpur, Meerut, Lucknow, and Jodhpur — have already witnessed a 40 per cent decline in PM2.5.

However, Varanasi stands out as the sole city to achieve reductions on both indicators, with an average decrease of 72 per cent in PM2.5 levels and a 69 per cent reduction in PM10 levels.

Its PM2.5 level decreased to 26.9 μg/cubic metre (or 26.9 micrograms per cubic metre) in 2023 from 96.0 μg/cubic metre in 2019 (one microgram is one-thousandth of a milligram).

In 2023, Silchar, in Assam, reported the lowest PM2.5 level at 9.6 μg/cubic metre while Delhi recorded the highest at 102 μg/cubic metre.

Despite these cities showing improvement, air quality in the least polluted cities still exceeds the World Health Organization’s annual average safe limit of 5 μg/cubic metre.

“Even though all the least polluted cities in 2023 registered PM2.5 levels within the ‘good’ category (0-30 μg/cubic metre) or met the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB’s) annual average safe limit of 30 μg/ (cubic metre), all cities surpassed the WHO threshold,” the report said.

Besides emission from factories, vehicles, power plants, and households, air pollution is influenced by weather conditions, topography, and urban design. The study highlights almost 18 of the top 20 cities recording the highest PM2.5 levels in 2023 are concentrated in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP), showing the region’s susceptibility to elevated particulate matter concentrations.

Aarti Khosla, director, Climate Trends, commenting on the impact of the NCAP in improving air quality in the country said: “The NCAP has made noteworthy progress in tackling air pollution, witnessing notable reductions in PM2.5 and PM10 levels in top polluted cities, showing there have been efforts underway. Despite these positive strides, persistent challenges exist, with some urban areas facing an uptick in pollution concentrations.”

Khosla highlighted the importance of cities incorporating new air-quality monitoring stations, saying that enhanced monitoring would provide a clearer understanding of the issue and enable more effective-mitigation measures.

The report shows the inefficiency of cities in utilising allotted funds. Of the funds released to the cities, Rs 5,835.03 crore, a little over 60 per cent, has been utilised.

A total of 64 cities spent less than 50 per cent of the funds, with Visakhapatnam and Nashik spending nothing.