PARLIAMENT QUESTION: IMPACT OF NATIONAL CLEAN AIR PROGRAMME ON PM2.5 LEVELS

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change reports that the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched in 2019 for 130 cities, has allocated an air‑quality performance incentive grant of ₹ 16,423.56 crore for FY 2019‑20 to 2025‑26. By 2025‑26, 108 cities reduced annual PM10 concentrations versus 2017‑18, with 72 cities achieving >20% reduction and 26 cities >40% reduction. Fourteen cities met the NAAQS (≤60 µg/m³) for PM10, and 65 cities met the NAAQS (≤40 µg/m³) for PM2.5. Reported PM2.5 levels for Pune, Hyderabad, Surat, Delhi and Mumbai were 41, 34, 32, 102 and 33 µg/m³ respectively. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) was also established for Delhi‑NCR under the 2021 Act.