CPCB data: 21 cities under NCAP reduced PM10 pollution by over 40% since 2017-18

New Delhi: According to the latest data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 95 of the 131 cities under India’s National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) have significantly improved air quality. Among these, 21 cities achieved a more than 40 per cent reduction in PM10 pollution compared to the 2017-18 levels.

The NCAP, launched in 2019, set an ambitious goal of reducing particulate pollution by 20-30 per cent by 2024, using 2017 as the base year. In 2022, this target was revised to a 40 per cent reduction by 2026, using 2019-20 as the base year. While the programme initially aimed to tackle both PM2.5 and PM10, only PM10 levels are being used to assess the performance of cities.

The 21 cities that achieved a remarkable 40 per cent or more reduction in PM10 pollution are Varanasi, Dhanbad, Byrnihat, Bareilly, Firozabad, Dehradun, Tuticorin, Nalagarh, Moradabad, Khurja, Trichy, Kohima, Lucknow, Kanpur, Kadapa, Sivasagar, Sunder Nagar, Agra, Greater Mumbai, Rishikesh and Parwanoo. These cities have employed a variety of pollution control measures, contributing to their success.

Despite these positive outcomes, only 18 out of the 131 NCAP cities currently meet the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for PM10, set at 60 micrograms per cubic metre. This underscores the ongoing challenge of bringing more cities into compliance with air quality standards.

In addition to the top-performing 21 cities, 14 cities, Fourteen cities — Ahmedabad, Ghaziabad, Rajkot, Jalandhar, Raebareli, Amritsar, Kolkata, Jammu, Silchar, Vijayawada, Naya Nangal, Dimapur, Baddi and Jodhpur — reduced PM10 pollution by 30-40 per cent, compared to 2017-18 levels.

Meanwhile, Khanna, Durgapur, Kurnool, Dera Baba Nanak, Vadodara, Allahabad, Asansol, Hyderabad, Gorakhpur, Ranchi, Bengaluru, Akola, Anantapur, Durg Bhilainagar, Surat and Noida recorded a 20-30 per cent reduction in PM10 levels during the same period, the data showed.

A 10-20 per cent reduction in PM10 pollution was recorded in 21 cities — Delhi, Howrah, Thane, Latur, Nellore, Gajraula, Alwar, Chittur, Kala Amb, Mandi Gobindgarh, Amravati, Patiala, Jaipur, Ongole, Chandrapur, Nashik, Jhansi, Sangli, Kota, Devanagere and Rajahmundry.

To acknowledge these efforts, the Union Environment Ministry presented the National Clean Air City Awards during the Swachh Vayu Survekshan 2024. This event, held in Jaipur to celebrate the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies, recognised cities for their significant contributions to improving air quality.

Surat was ranked as the top city in the major population category, followed by Jabalpur and Agra. In cities with populations between three and ten lakh, Firozabad, Amravati, and Jhansi topped the list. For cities with populations under three lakh, Raebareli, Nalgonda, and Nalagarh were the frontrunners.

The Swachh Vayu Survekshan initiative ranks cities based on their air quality improvements and implementation of approved activities under their respective action plans. Key measures contributing to these improvements include road paving, mechanical sweeping, solid waste management, greenbelt development, and the creation of green spaces from reclaimed dump sites. with agency inputs