Too little, too late: Why poll promises to cut air pollution are not enough

The BJP's promise of turning NCAP into a 'mission', which means institutionalising it better and increasing accountability at the Centre, is not enough because the NCAP has several limitations

Measures that prioritise development can also lead to air-quality improvements in India, even if they are not primarily targeted at air pollution

For the first time, air pollution--the seventh-largest risk factor for death in India, killing 1.24 million people in 2017--finds a mention in party manifestos in the 2019 general election of the world’s largest democracy, home to 14 of the planet’s 20 most polluted cities.

But the promise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to turn the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) into a “mission” and reducing air pollution levels by 35%--from the current target of 30%--by 2024, and the Congress’s promise of strengthening the NCAP and declaring a “national health emergency” are not enough, said experts.

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