India dominates list of most polluted cities despite spending crores on air pollution control

As many as 16 Indian cities that were receiving nearly ₹1,000 crores collectively to counter air pollution have been featured in the recently published list of the world’s most polluted cities putting the role of the National Clean Air Program (NCAP) under scrutiny.

The data was released by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir on March 11 based on PM 2.5 data collected from more than 40,000 air quality monitoring stations across 8,954 locations in 138 countries, territories, and regions.

PM 2.5 is one of the most harmful air pollutants that can reach the deep crevices of the lungs and trigger a host of respiratory diseases, including fatal ones.

Notably, 10 of the 35 Indian cities within the list are both NCAP as well as Smart cities, which raises questions about the urban developmental measures taken in the country.

Patna and Chandigarh are both NCAP and Smart cities, yet both cities recorded worsening air pollution over the period of 2023-24.

The capital city of Bihar spent ₹233 crore for air pollution control under NCAP since 2017-18, which is 78% of its allotted 299 crore.

However, Patna’s PM 10 value, a major pollutant considered for determining air pollution status under NCAP, rose 3% in 2023-24 compared to 2017-18.

Meanwhile, Chandigarh spent around ₹30 crore, which is 93% of the released amount of ₹33 crore, during the period.

Launched in India in 2019, the NCAP initially aimed to significantly enhance the air quality in India by 2024 by reducing PM concentration by 20-30%, compared to 2017 levels.

In 2022, the timeline got extended till 2026, with the reduction target pushed up to 40%.

NCAP is the costliest air pollution control program and one of the biggest globally which was found non-existent in 19 Indian cities in the top 50 most polluted cities of the world.

The PRANA portal, which tracks the performance of the NCAP, reports that ₹11,541 crore has been allocated by March 14 to "non-attainment cities." These are cities that have consistently failed to meet air quality standards over a long period and are considered highly polluted. The funds are meant to support efforts to improve air quality in these areas.

“India saw a 7% decline in PM2.5 concentrations in 2024, averaging 50.6 μg/m³ compared to 54.4 μg/m³ in 2023; yet six of the world’s ten most polluted cities are in India … India ranked as the world’s fifth most polluted country, down from third the previous year but air pollution remains a significant health burden in India, reducing life expectancy by an estimated 5.2 years,” Armen Araradian of IQAir was quoted as saying.

“Severe pollution episodes persisted in 2024, particularly in northern states. January air quality was especially poor in Delhi and Himachal Pradesh. The city of Baddi, in southwestern Himachal Pradesh, saw a January monthly PM2.5 average of 165 μg/m³. Air quality deteriorated sharply in Manipur in October, while November saw extreme pollution levels in Delhi, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh with crop stubble burning remaining a major contributor to PM2.5 levels, accounting for 60% of pollution during peak periods. Overall, 35% of Indian cities reported annual PM2.5 averages exceeding ten times the WHO guideline,” he further said.

The official highlighted that inconsistent policy implementation and lack of adequate infrastructure remain a challenge in reducing air pollution despite governmental programs like NCAP.

He further reminded how the Supreme Court, last October, stated that breathing clean, pollution-free air is a fundamental right.