'Without legal mandate, funding & coordination, clean air plans won't work'

Clean air plans prepared by India’s 102 non-attainment cities--those that violate the national ambient air quality standards fixed in 2009--show “significant shortcomings”, a recent study has found. The plans lack legal mandate, transboundary coordination, funding, and clear targets and accountability.

Air pollution causes more than a million deaths in India annually. India launched its National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January 2019 with the aim to achieve a 20-30% reduction in particulate matter (PM) concentration by 2024. If the country can achieve and sustain even 25% reduction in air pollution at the national level, it would increase India’s national life expectancy