• The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change introduced The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in January 2019. The goal is to reduce particle pollution by up to 40% by 2025–2026 compared to the base year of 2019–20. Setting clean air targets for 131 designated unhealthy cities is a first for the country.

• The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has raised concerns about the NCAP, stating it risks becoming merely a dust control initiative.

• Key points from their recent assessment include:
  1. 64% of NCAP and 15th Finance Commission funds have been spent on road dust mitigation, with minimal allocation for controlling emissions from industries, vehicles, and biomass burning.
  2 . The current focus on PM10 as the benchmark for city performance should shift to the more harmful PM2.5.
  3. There is a disconnect between the NCAP and Swachh Bharat Survekshan performance metrics, leading to inconsistencies in city rankings.
  4. NCAP must support energy transitions across industries, transport, and households, and integrate sustainable mobility and waste management practices.
  5. Of the funds utilized, disparities exist in fund allocation between different cities.

• CSE emphasizes the need for repurposed strategies to effectively improve air quality.

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