National Clean Air Programme Performance Update 2025-26
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change provided a detailed assessment of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) impact on PM2.5 levels in response to a parliamentary question. Launched in 2019, NCAP is a multi-sectoral initiative addressing air pollution in 130 cities across India through coordinated efforts of Central and State Governments, Urban Local Bodies, and other stakeholders. The program emphasizes source-specific mitigation measures implemented through city, state, and national-level clean air action plans, monitored by committees at Central, State, and District levels.
Financial support totaling ₹16,423.56 crore has been released as performance-based incentive grants to targeted cities under NCAP during FY 2019-20 through 2025-26, serving as critical gap funding for implementing air pollution mitigation measures.
The focused actions under NCAP have demonstrated significant results: 108 of the 130 cities recorded reductions in annual PM10 concentrations during 2025-26 compared to 2017-18. Specifically, 72 cities achieved reductions exceeding 20%, while 26 cities achieved reductions of more than 40%. The number of cities meeting National Ambient Air Quality Standards for PM10 (≤60 µg/m³) increased to 14 in FY 2025-26 from just 6 cities in 2017-18.
For PM2.5 levels, 65 cities met the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (≤40 µg/m³) in 2025-26. Specific city-level PM2.5 data shows Pune at 41 µg/m³, Hyderabad at 34 µg/m³, Surat at 32 µg/m³, Delhi at 102 µg/m³, and Mumbai at 33 µg/m³ during the same period.
The government has also established the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) under the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas Act, 2021, to address air pollution in Delhi-NCR with powers to issue directions to various agencies in the National Capital Region for protecting and improving air quality.